Out of Time and Space: Next Episode
by Mauselet-AliceAsuka
Summary: You didn't think this was the end of the story, did you? We are enjoying our usual lives, but not for long. Nothing can change from a day to day. The world is full of unexpecting opportunities and adventures. The impossible is possible, all you gotta do is to make it so... Will the life give even me the second chance?
1. Me and my broken heart

"So, that's how it was," Alice whispered. Reese standing near the lake quickly turned to her, it was two years from creating of the last crystal. "W-what happened...?" she wondered. "After Rod and Laura traveled to their time, you stopped responding to your surroundings," Alice explained to her, "kinda dreamed out, huh? I do it sometimes too, actually all the time. You know... You made others worried by this, especially Kyra was pretty worried sick and I had to calm Zoe down. They're all in the café. I decided to stay with you since I'm experienced in losing the notion of time." "What did you mean by 'that's what happened'?"

"While you were out like this, I... I used my crystal to see what happened while the most of us didn't know anything. I wanted to know more about the last crystal and your motive. Now I understand," Alice replied. "Isn't that a coincidence?" Reese laughed, "I was thinking about the same thing. You're the only one besides the guardians who knows about that, so please, don't mention it anywhere."

"Don't worry, I can keep my mouth shut. I saw everything that happened in Akuno," Alice confessed, "and before the climax of our story. Now I understand." "You shouldn't use your crystal that often," Reese told her, "it can be dangerous for you." "That's fine. I'm tougher than I look, but... Are you okay?" Alice wondered. Reese looked away, her hands kinda shook. "Ah... S-sorry! I didn't want to say it... I didn't realize it can be painful for you... I'm sorry. I'm just bad at saying things like that..." Alice's voice was trembling. "No. It's okay. I must face it. I can't be healed." "Wait! But there is some kind of operations available these days, right? We still can save it. I'm sure you'll be able to have kids again," all those words came out of Alice's mouth so quickly. "You know... My body was seriously injured several times. My organs are artificial. It's a big risk for me. And even if it would work, I'm not sure if I'd be able to stand a pregnancy or a birth when I'm like this..." Reese said. Alice knew she's totally honest, but why did she tell that to her? Well, others would very likely freak out, Zoe, Kyra...

"You are a really strong person," Alice reminded her, "just don't try to say you deserve that or something... Yes, you did bad things, even a few people died, your actions made others happy at the end. As Dark says 'darkness can't exist without light and light can't exist without darkness'. Just like shadows... You can't know that a good thing is good until you don't experience a bad one. We would never meet, Zepar wouldn't be defeated, she would find someone else to do that, but they may not be able to handle that like you. A strange feeling that Zepar would choose Kyra, for example, scares me. She wouldn't survive that. So, I'm kinda glad it was you... I-I mean! No!" The Komatsu panicked. "Calm down, Alice. I'm not mad. When I think about it, you're right."

"You are the true hero. Reese," Alice said. "What?" Reese wondered. "Let everybody hear it, Reese Drake is a heroine of this story!" Alice imitated Zepar. "That's your sense of humor, huh?" "You're a hero and a villain, a protagonist, and an antagonist of your own story. You've made a mistake and most of us won't forgive you for a long time, but the truth is that you should forgive someone. You should forgive only one person, yourself. Not right away, but someday... I know it's hard. It took me five years to forgive myself those words and start to talk again, but it feels even better than if Nicolas forgave me. I was able to face myself."

"Thank you, Alice."

"Yeah... You're welcome..."

"Go to the others. I have some business to take care of."

* * *

That little business took almost an hour to do since 7 guardians and 2 ex-guardians Reese called had to go to D-lab.

She was showing them her back. When everyone was there she spoke up: "There is something I must tell you." "Does any of you have deja vu too?" Sora wondered. "This is happier than the last time. Zepar is gone."

"We know it since yesterday," the others said. "Excluding me," Jeff, the ex-guardian, snapped. Reese turned to them. She noticed how anxiously Wendy's watching him. No wonder, they used to date and they have a son together, but Jeff was acting terribly and pissed her off.

"By the way, Wendy, since we're all here, where is Gerard?" Lucy asked, "don't tell me the kids have him." "He's with my colleague," Wendy answered, "Matt can handle it... I... Jeff..." Wendy just couldn't continue. "Don't bring _that_ up right now, fine?!" Jeff growled, "so, you're saying she's dead, but how?" "You can thank us for that," Zakuro said. "Really?" "Don't make it look like you are the hero," Cruz commented, "the true hero is standing in front of us." He smiled at the researcher. She looked away, her cheeks were little red. "Hero?" Dr. Owen wondered, "is that true, Reese?" "I'm no hero..." Reese replied, "I just..." "How? What happened there?" Aki asked her. "I... I wanted to trick Zepar, but she saw through it. Controlling my body, she used me and brought me in Akuno, forcing me to hurt the owners," Reese was explaining, putting her hand on sister's scarf around her neck, "fortunately, Zoe and the others came and... saved me. I'm so grateful to them."

 _"I won't let you do that. You are a part of the team, my friend, my family. I can't let you! We'll find another way to stop Zepar, I promise."_

"I was able to fight back... I destroyed the last crystal and survived. I'm thankful to them, Max, Rex, Zoe..."

"You risked your own life to save them, that's insane," Dr. Taylor told her. "Like you wouldn't do that for them. After all, I promised to protect them. I only fixed my mistake."

She closed her eyes, a sweet smile appeared on her face.

"And that makes you a hero," she heard Max's voice. When she opened her eyes, everyone was in the D-lab. "Have you already forgot what I told you? It could have been worse... I am sure this is what sister wanted to say," Justin said. Alice just froze in a place, she couldn't say anything in front of this big amount of people. She hid her face in her hoodie.

Jeff only sighed and left before anyone of the owners could recognize him.

"All of you can call yourselves heroes," Cruz admitted, "every single one of us here had an important role in this story, else it could have been totally different. Am I right, Alice?" But the owner of the time crystal was sleeping...? Seriously, guys, wake her up!

"Well, I guess this will never change," Niki laughed. "You're pointing to the alternative timelines, right, Cruz?" Dengyo spoke up. "Seriously?" Sue wondered, "I know I said our lives are now boring, but just hell really?" "We just defeated one destroyer of the world, give me a break for a while," Andy murmured.

"Then I have an idea!" Kyra cheered up, "we'll sing!" "Really?" Nicolas growled in disagreement, "can you seriously be my family?" "Kyra... I think I'll avoid that event," Rex said. "Me too," Max joined.

"Fine, fine, then it will be girls only."

"Don't tell me..."

"No way!" Sabi snapped, "you won't get even a tune out of me in front of people." "In front of people?" Kyra repeated, "that's perfect, we can sing in the café." "Thanks, Sabi, you gave her an amazing idea," Ema said ironically. "Well, thank you, Sabi," Niki sarcastically commented.

"It isn't that bad idea," Zoe said. "I think so too," Bel agreed. "I... I would go, b-but... You know... Like Hermana said... Not... In front of the people..." Dark whispered. "Hermana?" Wendy wondered. "Just three of all..." Kyra murmured disappointedly, "nevermind! Others will cheer us up!"

The owners headed out, Zoe suddenly stopped.

"Sounds fair," Sue said, "Uh... Girl, you don't go?" "Just a second." Zoe ran to her sister and gave her a big hug. " _This_ is _not_ fair," Sue growled quietly. "Just don't create any superpowered stuff that can cause the end of the world while we're gone," Zoe said. "Don't worry..."

"Hey, no fair!" Kyra yelled and rushed to them. "I want too!" She warped her arms around Reese. "Kyra, get off of me," Reese angrily growled. "Fine, fine, but first..." Kyra kissed her crush on lips and headed out. "Wait..." Zoe was realizing what just happened to her sister.

Reese was blushing. "Get out," she told Zoe. "What?" "Get out!" she repeated and gave a death glare to Max, Rex, and Cole that were still in the room, "you too." "W-wow, wow, wow. I have a question," Cole said. "Out! Now!"

All four of them were gone in another few seconds.

"Stay quiet!" Reese said before anyone else could, "it isn't what it looks like. Kyra is just... Well, Kyra... Go. There's still something I need to do."

* * *

Walking out, Kyra was smiling from ear to ear, Max, Rex, Cole, and Sue that heard everything behind the door, were kinda creeped out, Zoe still thinking about Kyra's behavior.

"Hey... Kyra," Cole spoke up and stopped, "can you explain _that_ to me?" "Huh? What do you mean?" Kyra wondered as she looked at him. "That was really too much, you know..."

"We'll leave you for a minute," Max said and went farther away with the others.

"Kyra, why didn't you tell me that you're-" "I'm sorry..." "What else are you hiding? Kyra, what else I don't know?!" Cole raised his voice. "I... I'm hypersensitive especially when I hear my second name, Lucy... Because only my dad used to call me like that. I saw him get shot and when he died my mind went totally black, I even tried to hurt and kill myself... And I am a bisexual, crushing on you and Ree. I thought you'd be excited since guys are about these things." "Maybe if it was the first time," Cole snapped, "you lied to me and how I know you I can't trust you." "But Ree doesn't want that," Kyra said. "So what?! I can't trust you after this. You already kissed Cruz right in front of me and now one of my friends! How?! How can I put my faith in you?! You're crushing on her... I just can't stand a thought that you'd be making out with someone else. Kyra... I'm done with you."

"What...?" Kyra was still progressing everything she just heard.

"You broke up with me when Kami kissed me, so now it's my turn. I'm done with you, Kyra Komatsu!"

Cole turned around and left without any other word.

"C-Cole..." Kyra's eyes were filled with tears. Her mind totally blacked-out. She was trembling like crazy. "Wha... Whaaaaah!" she cried. Running away, back to the guardians. "No... Noooooo!" The owners looked back to her screams. Her sister quickly rushed to her, she knew this will happen, she saw it. Kyra ran into her mother's arms. Cried, screamed, suffered. "I don't want to... Please, someone, end this!"

"Kyra, what happened?" Lucy asked her, anxiously looking at Wendy that was with her. "He... Cole..." No sentence came from her mouth. "Kyra!" Alice, not very tall girl with short brown messy hair, wearing a dark jacket with spots of paint on it, was finally able to find them, she was exhausted. She didn't run, it was more like power-walking.

"Kyra..." In her sleepy brown-green eyes with bags under them was fear about her older sister. "Ali, what-" "Cole broke up with her. He was really harsh... He was really pushing her," Alice explained, knowing more than the others, "I guess from what I could see."

"What's wrong?" Max wondered when he came. He took a few deep breaths because he ran faster than the others. His red vest with a yellow hoodie and a black fanny pack around his hips were kinda messed because of his speed, so were his spiky brown hair. He grabbed his red visor with triceratops horns and closed his hopeful purple eyes while he was catching his breath.

Alice immediately burst out: "What's wrong?! You're asking what's wrong?! Then I'll tell you, Taylor! Your brother! He's just an idiot for judging Kyra for what she is!"

Their friends just came to them.

"Alice, calm down," Rex tried to step in, but Alice didn't let him. "You stay out of this!"

"Ali, we should take Kyra home, let your brothers about it." "Okay..." Alice nodded. "Wendy, will you go too?" "Sure."

* * *

 **Taylors' house, Cole's room**

The brunette shut the door from his room, slammed his fist against the wall with all of his strength.

"Damn it!"

A tear ran from his worrying purple eyes down his face.

* * *

 **Komatsu's house**

Kyra still in her mindless state was sitting on the couch with her mother and Wendy taking care of her. The rest of Komatsus was standing away.

Kyra's pretty short blond and brown hair fell on her beautiful face. Tears were streaming. The violet scarf she always wears around her head was wrapped around her bloody wrist. All of her clothes, her denim jacket and shorts were covered by blood.

"Kyra's bisexual...?" Nicolas asked quietly, "that explains a lot. But Cole not accepting it? That's horrible and I know what's acting horribly." "He was actually jealous, but extremely..." "We must stay strong for Kyra," Justin said.

"Feeling better, sweetheart?" Lucy asked her eldest child. Despite being worried sick about Kyra, she kept her strict look. Her hair as red as Kyra's blood was almost as messy as Alice's from her un-showed fear. "Yes, but..."

"Just keep strong and fight it."

"Yes, I will..."

"Kyra, it'll be fine, just don't worry about it," Wendy tried to assure her. As a doctor and Lucy's friend Wendy was very experienced with things like this. She slightly grabbed her shorter raven hair. Her one black and the other red eye, they were kindly watching the hurt teen.

"I'm just scared... What if this will happen again and I'll hurt someone...? I'm trying but it's stronger than me... I..."

"You won't," Lucy said, "you won't hurt anyone because we're switching to the strict mode tomorrow. I won't let you just chicken out forever!" She raised her voice, all those words motivated Kyra not to give up. Lucy's strong voice always helps especially to children, she was one of the best teachers in the city.

* * *

 **Taylors' house, Cole's room, Evening**

Cole with his shoulder-length brown hair down was lying on his bed, not able to think, just staring at the ceiling.

He was unnaturally for him relaxing without doing practically anything.

Then someone knocked on the door. "Yeah?" he growled. "Cole, dinner is ready," Max's voice sounded behind the door. "Go away, Kid!" "But mom will be really upset..." "Just tell her I'm not hungry and get the heck outta here!"

Max only sighed. _"That you've broken up with a girl doesn't mean you can act like that, bro..."_ He headed away.

Cole sat up and summoned all five of his dinosaurs. "Compy squad, go eat if you want," he said and opened the door. Gamma, the green Compsognathus with a yellow stripe, and Mitch, the grey Compy, stayed with him. He closed the door.

After a while, he heard a gentle knocking on the door. "Cole, can you please come out?" his mother asked. "No! Let me be!" he snapped. Aki didn't give up that easily, she had determination in her usually calm and worried purple eyes "Cole, please. Let's eat like a family as always."

"Leave me alone!" Cole shouted, "leave. I don't want to see you or talk to you. Leave!"

His words were like knives for her. Her eyes were full of tears.

"He'll be fine," her husband tried to comfort her. She didn't listen. "I need to... I go to the bedroom, leave me alone..." She headed away. "Aki..." "M-mom!" Max unnoticed until now wanted to run to his crying mother, but his father stopped him. "Max, we should give her some space..."

Rex, Ace, and Chomp watched it as well, but they couldn't do anything. Cole was acting like an idiot and hurt everyone around.

Sometimes you can't give up, you must fight.

She knocked once again a few hours later. Still kinda scared, knowing it won't make Cole happy, she opened the door and entered his room. Cole sitting on the bed just looked away.

"Kyra is just experimenting. I tried that too when I was younger. Her name was Rose."

"What do you want?!" he snapped, " _this_ won't make me feel better!" "Just listen to me," Aki told him and sat down next to him, "I know this feeling very well. When I was quite older than you I found out my boyfriend was cheating on me, I was so mad just like you and I obviously broke up with him. I was a little scared... I even missed him... It felt like we were made for each other. But if that didn't happen, I would never meet your father... I wasn't sad, I took it as a new opportunity for my future."

Cole slowly turned to her. "A new opportunity?"

"Yeah... If I stayed with him, I don't want to imagine what could have happened..." She put her hands on his face. "Thanks to that I have four amazing men around me." Tears filled her eyes. "I met the great man that gave me two incredible sons... And..."

Tears running down her face made him feel uncomfortable. He shook a little bit, sweat bullets appeared on his face.

"N-no... Don't cry. Mom, please."

"I'm glad to have you..."

She focused on his face, smiled over a few growing hair around his mouth, he started to look like his father.

"D-don't do this... To me..." Cole sobbed and hugged Aki, "I don't want you to cry..."

"Even if every girl cheated on you, remember that there'll always be one woman that loves you." They heard a growl on Cole's shoulder, Gamma. "I guess she wants to say that there are two women that love me more than anything in the world," Cole laughed.

Aki stood up and headed out. "Good night, Cole."

Mitch laying on Cole's laps quietly murmured. "You're hungry, pal?" Cole wondered, "maybe all three of us need to eat. Mom, did you at least leave some food for us?" "I honestly didn't eat either," Aki admitted. Cole got to his feet. "I'm sorry... Sorry that I yelled at you and I ruined our family dinner... I know how important it is for you. I don't even know why..."

"It was all your idea when you were just a kid." "Totally forgot about that... Welp, let's eat, then."

* * *

 ** _Rose belongs to imyouknowwho/jboy44_**


	2. I want to help

Spending her last day in her apartment, Reese sat on a couch, still thinking about all that stuff she went through. Zepar, the person that almost took her life so many times, a sister-killer that felt no shame for her actions, was gone... Killed by Little Genius. Like Andy said, the destroyer of the world was defeated.

 _Gone._

Her purple eyes with a scar across hidden behind her glasses were staring at the wall. She put her scared hand on a green scarf around her neck not really fitting to a greenish shirt and white cloak she wears in the D-lab. Her two sticking up blond curly hairs sadly hanged down.

Reese could only sigh over that. She won't be alone anymore, all those feelings Zepar gave her will disappear, she'll be with her family. No... Despite that, she felt lonely. She hoped that the letter she gave to Kami will make her feel better, but now she feels even worse. She just wants someone to love her more, her own family, but now she can't-

Then someone knocked on the door. Reese quickly snapped out of her thoughts and headed for the door. Once she opened it she smiled, it was her little sister with her dinosaur partner.

Her pink twin tails and cheerful purple eyes were unmistakable, as well as her glasses double up as a camera and the small dinosaur tooth around her neck.

"Hi, Ree!" Reese actually stopped when she heard that nickname. Zoe stopped calling her like that a long time ago. "Zoe... What do you-" Reese wanted to ask with her usual monotonic voice. "I wanted to see you! I kinda miss you at home..." Zoe replied. "You can't visit me everytime you start to miss me. Realize that I'll actually really move away someday with my husband and k-" Reese totally froze. She crossed her shaking arms on her chest, her heart slowly beating to the rhythm of fear and sadness.

"Reese?"

Lowering her head near her chest, looking towards her stomach. Paris nuzzled Reese's leg, making her finally responding to something. "Reese, what's wrong?" "Huh? Um... Sorry... I just-" "Does anything hurt you?!" Zoe asked with a worried sick expression. "No. Come in."

She obeyed her older sister and closed the door.

"Do you want some tea?" Reese asked. "Yes, please-" "A green one," the sisters said as one.

Zoe and Paris sat on the couch, while Reese made some tea and gave Paris a bowl of water.

"Thank you, Reese."

"You're welcome. Just be careful, it's hot," Reese warned her sister. "Okay..." Zoe put the cup on a table. "How come you miss me so much?" Reese wondered as she sat next to her sister, "you see me as often as you saw me back then. I was in the lab the whole days." "Yeah, but I just..." Zoe whispered, "I don't want you to be alone, Zepar used your loneliness against you!" "I'm not alone," Reese tried to assure her, but Zoe just didn't believe. "I almost lost you because of her... Because you were alone. I don't want that to happen again. Paris and I will protect you!" "I guess you don't miss a determination. It won't happen ever again, I promise. I don't want you to think about things like death or loss, sis."

"Then let's talk about something else," Zoe said, "I wanted to ask you about yesterday." Reese almost spilled her tea when she heard that. "Why did Kyra kiss you?" "W-well... I-I should explain it to you, r-right...? No. I'll explain it to you when you'll be older."

"But, Ree..."

"Okay... You'd else get a wrong idea about me. But where to start...? Kyra is a bisexual. That means..." Reese nervously started, her cheeks were totally red, "a big percent of people, around 97 if I'm not mistaking, likes the opposite gender, but there are some people that like the same gender and people that like both genders and that's Kyra-" "I know what that means." "Huh?" Reese anxiously turned to Zoe. "How?" "I'm almost 15," Zoe objected. "B-but you're s-still my little sister, you sh-shouldn't know about th-th-these things... And... And..." Reese unnaturally for her stuttered. "Are you worried that I'm growing up?" Zoe wondered. "I can't help it, I still see you as a baby the day you were born," Reese confessed and smiled. Then she drank her tea again.

"Are you... Well, too?" Zoe asked, making Reese almost spilling the tea like before. "N-no! No way! I... Kyra just doesn't know her boundaries." "I mean... So, it isn't a reason why you never had a boyfriend?" "No! I never had a boyfriend because of you," Reese said, "you always said something about me that made them go away because you didn't like them. And some of them didn't like you. I would never be with someone who doesn't like my family. The man I always dreamed about would go along with you, he'd help mom and dad, and me at the D-lab. He'd be funny, smart, caring. And once we'd start a family together, he'd be... Here... Making me smile..." Reese started to sob. "Every time... When... Raining clouds... Would come over me... He'd... He'd take my hand..." Tears streaming down her face. "Hug me... And... Be my... Sunshine... Every time I'd remember... That I... I can't give him sons or daughters... He'd comfort me..."

Zoe panicked inside when she saw that. She was afraid. She grabbed sister's hand. "P-please, don't cry. You know that... When you cry... I wanna... Cry too..." Tears were running down even Zoe's face. She wrapped her arms around Reese. She patted Zoe's back.

"Sis, you don't have reason to cry."

Nothing could stop their tears, only one thing did. Paris started to sing, the song they both know very well calmed them down. Reese took off her glasses for a while and wiped her tears.

"I didn't even know you dreamed about this," Zoe admitted, "I'm sorry I told all those things to them about you. I just thought that they aren't good enough for you, you're the smartest and most awesome-" "You don't have to say that again," Reese interrupted her, "I can't give up. I'm still young, I'm sure there's somebody I can be with. I can't give up." Paris' song gave her hope she never thought she'll feel again. Paris stopped singing and jumped on Reese's laps.

"Maybe... Just maybe. Alice was right." "What do you mean?" Zoe wondered. "An operation to... To save _it_... If I'll have a daughter in the future I'd like to name her after you, sis..." The dino on her laps called: _"Hey, what about me?"_ Reese smiled at her. "Don't worry. You'll get the second name," she assured her, she was laughing.

 _"Reese... I almost don't remember her like that. Happy... She changed her mind so fast. I didn't see her filled with hope like that in my life. This isn't Reese everyone knows now. This is Reese 9 years ago... Before she started to hide her emotions and feelings. She used to laugh all the time, she used to be full of hope and light just like at this moment. She believes that she'll... I wonder why. Did Paris help her to feel better? They've been together for 4 months... Worrying about me. They're so close now..."_

It all made Zoe smile.

"Reese? The reason I actually came here is... Will... Will you help me to get ready for my tomorrow date?" Zoe asked. "A date?!" Reese wondered.

* * *

 **Downtown**

Bel, a brunette Danish always wearing a light-blue bow in her hair, was walking out of the school. She felt a little bit tired, it was harder than it was in Denmark. She needed a break, alone. Heading to the center of the city to buy herself some good cold drink and lonely relax, she noticed a big crowd of people.

Was some event going on? Maybe a show... People were clapping and cheering. Bel couldn't tell what was that for until she didn't hear Spanish tunes, it was a guitar. She was curious and went to the crowd. Trying so hard to see the person who played so well on the guitar, she pushed to a few people.

A black-haired pale tall boy ended playing and applause started. "Cruz...?" slipped out of Bel's mouth. "Huh? Hello, Bel, what are you doing here?" he wondered. "That's what I should ask you," she objected. "Playing guitar," the teen Spanish replied. "Yeah, I get it," the Danish said sarcastically, "but why?" "Well..." Cruz pointed at his case for the guitar on the ground, there was money in there. _"For money?"_ "I had nowhere to go, so, I found a nice, small flat, but had no money. I got some jobs, but I didn't come two days in a row because of our reasons." He winked at Bel. "I got kinda fired..."

"But you rule, man!" some guy quite older than them shouted. "You're god damn good, dude!" his friends agreed. "Yeah! Plus he's hot!" girls squeaked.

"You already have fans here. Hope Cole the rockstar won't find out," Bel laughed, "but maybe I can help you." "What...?" Cruz wondered. "Did you forget?" Bel asked him, "singing isn't a problem for me. And my mom used to be a very popular singer." "If you want to."

Cruz started to play the guitar again, Bel's beautiful voice sounded through the place, River Cruz's Allosaurus was dancing to the rhythm.

They ended after half an hour, earned twice more money and applause than Cruz alone.

"Wow, you are really amazing, Bel," Cruz admitted. "Thanks, but you're great too. I didn't know you play guitar."

"Kiss!" someone from the audience cried. "Okay, guys, the show ended. Go home," Cruz said. The crowd disbanded.

Cruz took money from the case. "Here is your part," he said and reached his hand with half of the money to Bel. "What? No. Cruz, I can't take it," Bel objected. "You helped me," he reminded her, "I'd feel bad if you didn't take it." "But-" "It's hard to be a gentleman to you, you know? Then can I buy you some drink?" Cruz asked Bel. "Okay," she agreed. River pushed Cruz closer to Bel. "Hey... I'll buy something for you too," Cruz promised.

* * *

"Then what's the full story?" Bel asked when she got her drink. "Like I said after I left Akuno, I had nowhere to go. To earn some money, I worked in a few stores but got fired. That's all," Cruz explained. "So, you have just that flat?" Bel wondered, "and what about school?"

"I lived most of my life in Akuno. Dengyo used to teach me and Damita."

"You should have told us. We have a place at home." "It's okay, Bel." "No, it's not! I want to help you, Cruz!"

"It is okay. Lo Siento... I must go."

Cruz left her all by herself, not really, River stayed with her. Bel looked at him. "I have an idea. Come with me, River."

* * *

Bel knocked on the door. A woman with short black hair, with each eye different, the right one was red and the left black, wearing a white hospital cloak, opened.

"Oh, hello, Bel."

"Good afternoon, Wendy. You're going to the hospital?"

"Yeah. Do you need anything?"

"Well-" "Bel..." a high girly voice interrupted Bel. "Huh? Dark!" Cruz's little sister was standing behind Wendy, River ran to her.

Her, just as raven hair as Wendy's, pale skin, and bloody red eyes with a scar across the right one made her look creepy, but the inside Dark was the most harmless person.

"I wanted to ask you something, Wendy... I just found out that Cruz lives all alone and doesn't have money to pay... Do you think he could find a place here?" Bel wondered, "he's pretty close to you and..." "And does he know you're here?" Wendy asked her. "No..." Bel replied. "I'll talk to him about it," Wendy said, "you can stay here with girls and Gerard." "Okay." Bel nodded in agreement and went inside. A golden Dilophosaurus ran to her. "Star?" Then she noticed a brunette with a spark in her dark-colored eyes in the room, Dark's adoptive sister, a very smart girl not wishing to be called like that, so, I'll rather shut up about that. "Sabi." "Hello, again Bel."

"Well, I'll go. Take care, everyone. Bye."

"Bye," the girls said as Wendy left.

"Looks like Gerard has ladies company," Bel laughed.

* * *

 **North School, Art club**

Alice and the others were reading some sort of paper. "Closed down?" Justin wondered. "So, the art club will end..." Niki said. "I kinda expected that," Alice admitted. "Welp, since you can predict anything," Sue commented. "I'm sorry about that, Alice." Rex put his hand on Alice's shoulder.

"This is also my fault," Ema said, "all this closing down is because Alice is the only member. If I haven't left, this wouldn't happen." "That's okay, Ema," Alice told her. "Well, what now?"

"We need members... Guys, you're going to join the art club!"

Everyone actually agreed with Alice's idea, but with her next words. "No way!" Sue snapped, "I won't draw anything..." "Well, you just agreed," Niki reminded her. "I didn't know we'll have to draw something... Hell, I should have gone with Zoe..." Sue murmured.

"Then what are we gonna draw?" Rex wondered. "Hm..." Alice covered her mouth with her hand and looked down. Tashi her Pachycephalosaurus called out. "Got it! Guys, have you are tried to draw a dinosaur?"

"Oh hell no."

Before anyone else could say something, they all had everything prepared by the leader of the art club. She put pallets with paint in their hands. "You said draw," Justin objected. "Yeah... Whatever..."

* * *

 **Wendy's flat**

"That's pretty bad," Sabi said when Bel explained them Cruz's situation, "but he looks like someone who can handle it." "You're saying that like you don't even know him," Bel told her. "Honestly, I don't really know him," Sabi admitted, "you, Dark, Wendy, and Dengyo are the closest to him. The only thing he talked to me about is Dark."

"I thought Wendy can help him since he's almost like Gerard's brother..."

"I'm... pretty sure she'll help him... Wendy's... Kind..." Dark murmured. "Yeah, but Cruz doesn't even know I asked her," Bel said, "he didn't want me to help, but I just had to." "Because you're a good person, Bel," Sabi told her. "Really...?" Bel's cheeks turned red. "I... Agree..."

"He's just my friend and I wanna help him. Plus I think he misses Kami, I mean Laura..." Bel admitted, "and isn't the only one. I bet Kyra feels the same, cause she said what she said when they went away."

 _"I love you, Kami!" Kyra yelled, but the portal was already closed._

"You're maybe right about that, but I didn't know Kyra is... Well, you know," Sabi confessed. "Yeah, but Sue figured it out."

"We... Can't judge her... It's just... who she is..."

* * *

 **North School, Art club**

"I had a great idea, right?" Alice asked the others during their work. "Yeah, yeah..." Sue commented. Her dino liked it as much as she did, so not at all. Annie couldn't stand calmly in one place, she got all nervous. "Hey, Ann, stop moving for a second, you'll be blurry!" "She's got the same amount of energy as you have, cousin," Ema laughed. "Yeah, you maybe enjoy it, cuz your dino stays in one place and you're good at it."

"Well, it really is fun," Niki admitted, "right, Stegi?" The Stegosaurus growled in agreement. "This will not go the museum I guess..." Justin murmured. His painting was perfect, it was honestly just blurry spots of green and yellow paint in the shape of little Dimetrodon. "At least someone can tell you tried to draw Karo..." Rex sighed. Ace came to him and looked Rex's work, then gave him a weird glare. The picture didn't even look like him. "Don't look at me like that, this is the best I can do," Rex told him. "Well, it can't be that bad... Well..." Niki said as she walked to them, "well... Okay, if you didn't tell me it's supposed to be Ace I wouldn't have guessed it, but..." Just a few blue and yellow lines seemed more like a strange cat. "But at least you tried."

"It's terrible..."

Suddenly, a rumbling noise sounded through the club. A pallet and D-lab's youngest scientist were lying on the floor. All of Justin's clothes and glasses were dirty from the paint.

"Annie! Can you not play near me?!"

"Sorry, Justin..."

"What... No!" Justin screamed with a girly voice when he noticed that his white lad cloak is colored by green and yellow paint. "I... I worked so hard to get it and now it's destroyed!"

"Calm down, Justin. These ones can be washed off," Ema assured him as she helped him to stand up. He didn't look into her face. "Yeah... Since that little incident I rather stopped to use unwashable colors," Alice admitted. Everyone figured out she's pointing to all of her clothes dirty from the paint.

"I'm so glad you're going to join the art club, guys... Sorry, I'll be right back," Alice said. "Sister, sister! Moment! Why-" "I already finished Tashi's picture, so, I'm going to look for some new inspiration." She left with her Pachycephalosaurus.

Standing outside the club all alone she thought if her sister is okay. Kyra stayed home with her mother trying to be tougher than ever before, but she was always such a sweetheart...

"Al?"

Alice quickly turned to the person who spoke to her, it was Max with Chomp.

After several awkward minutes staring at each other, while their dinos played together, she turned away from him. "Alice, I-" "Shut up!" Surprised Chomp and Tashi looked at her.

Before anyone could say something else, Rex and Ace went out of the art club. "Alice, stop. You two have nothing to do with Cole and Kyra's current situation," he said. "Nothing to do? My sister has a mental breakdown because of _his_ brother!" Alice shouted and pointed at Max. "Alice..." "Let me be! Both of you!"

"…Al… C'mon, Chomp," Max said as he headed away.

"Alice? That was-"

" **SHUT UP**!" Alice yelled at her crush. Scared Ace grabbed Rex's leg and Tashi hissed at her partner.

"Alice, that's enough." Rex was totally calm.

"Huh?!" Alice had tears in her eyes, couldn't make a single sound. She put on the hoodie with some kind of cat ears to hide her face sucked with tears. She went back to the art club, ignoring everything, leaving Rex, Ace, and Tashi alone.

"Alice..." Tashi called out: _"She needs to be alone." "But... She can't act like that,"_ Ace objected.

She headed to the table. "Sister, sister?" She didn't answer to her brother. "What's wrong?" Ema wondered. "The hell?" Alice started to draw on a paper. "So, she's the same as before," Niki whispered.

"Before?" Ema didn't understand. "Before she met you," Justin started explaining, "she never really communicated with the outside world."

Karo ran to Alice and slightly hissed.

"So, let's leave her alone," Niki said. "Right, come here, Karo."

They left the art club. Rex and the dinos were no longer in the corridor.

"I feel kinda bad for leaving the leader duties on her now," Ema admitted. "What do you mean?" Justin asked her. "I completely forgot to tell you. I'll move back to Luminary village," Ema replied. "What?!" Justin squeaked with a girly voice. "But you can't leave, you're a part of the team," Niki objected, nervously playing with her very long blond hair.

"I need to. For Miharu..." "Cousin..."

Then Alice's cell phone rang, the rock music sounded through the whole room, she immediately picked it up.

"Hello?" "Asu...?" Alice heard Dark's voice from the other side, "I... wanted to ask you... about your crystal. Do you think... you can do the same thing... you did back then...? Can you travel... in time?"

"Huh?"


	3. My new way

"It's destroyed! It's completely destroyed!" Justin was panicking, anxiously holding his shoulder-length curly brown hair, almost let some tears fall, glasses barely staying on his nose.

Everyone in the D-lab felt sorry for him, but couldn't understand. Reese was working on her computer, annoyed by his cry. Dark was totally frozen and worried. Unlike them, three Taylors were curious.

"Uhm... Four eyes?" Cole spoke up. "What do you think happened?" Max wondered. "I'm not sure," Dr. Taylor, a great paleontologist that you hear an adventurous Indiana Jones music just by looking at him, admitted.

Justin continued sobbing. "Justin's cloak is dirty," Reese explained. "Wait..." The guys just realized. "You... just noticed he doesn't have it on...?" Dark wondered.

"Welp, is a dirty cloak a problem?" Cole asked. "Yes, it is! It is not just any cloak! It is _my_ lab cloak! My lab cloak Reese gave me. I worked so hard to get it. It is the symbol I am part of the D-lab and now it is... Dirty..."

"Okay...? Can you calm down now?" Max murmured. "Mom said that those spots of paint can't be washed off..." Justin cried. He laid his head on the table, hiding his face in his arms, almost letting tears fall.

 _"Justin, please, don't cry..."_ Karo would tell him. He as well was pretty sad about that.

Reese stood up and came to Justin. Putting her hand on his shoulder, she said: "Don't worry about it, Jus. A cloak isn't what makes you a great scientist. You did a perfect job before and I-" "Just don't cry, Justin!" Dark yelled and immediately got scared of herself. Everyone looked surprised. Justin and Karo squeaked a little. "Lo... Lo Siento... I..."

"Well, what are you yelling about?" They realized the door opened and looked that way. Niki, Stegi, Nicolas, Ria, and Bel entered.

"Don't be a crybaby," Nicolas, Alice's much louder and ruder twin, snapped and threw him some white fabric. Justin tried to run for it because he figured out it's his lab cloak, but he tripped over nothing and fell on the ground, spilling the coffee in his hand. "Oh, no..." Chomp grabbed the cloak in his mouth and brought it to Justin who was getting on his feet.

"Yeah, and by the way, bro, mom says that you shouldn't drink so much coffee or be more careful," Nicolas said, "not only it had spots of paint from the art club, but even some spots from the coffee."

"Nicolas, thank you," Justin told his brother as he took the cloak on. "I think Nicolas is right. You are a little clumsy, Justin," Bel admitted. "Well, speaking about that..." came out of Niki's mouth nervously, she played with her long blond hair again. _"Uh..."_ Stegi slightly hissed. They both were scared. "Huh?" Justin and Karo slowly turned around.

Everyone as was trembling with fear. Justin and Karo squeaked when they realized what's going on. Reese was standing behind him, light reflecting from her glasses, making them not being able to see her eyes, made her look creepy.

"Again, Justin?" she asked. "I-I am v-very s-sorry, Reese!" He was slowly backing off, sweating and shaking, biting his own down lip.

Reese just sighed. "How many times I told you to be careful with coffee?" she asked him. "Man... What's wrong with that?" Nicolas mumbled. "Well, a spilled coffee can very likely cause some troubles around computers," Niki said. "Yep!" Cole laughed, "dad and Justin caused several problems with that." "Uhm... T-that's not true," his father objected. "Wait. Whose coffee caused us not being able to teleport once?" Max wondered. "Okay, maybe you are right," Justin and Dr. Taylor admitted.

 _"But if it wasn't for that... I would never meet-"_

"I guess you won't be allowed to bring anything like that here anymore," Cole was still laughing. "Cole's absolutely right," Reese confirmed, "and Justin, you're going to clean the lab for one month." "Y-yes, ma'am..."

Nicolas was just laughing over brother's bad day.

Ria came to the rest of the coffee and started licking it. Bel noticed right away. "Ria! Wait!" The little Crylophosaurus raised her head up. "Raar? (What's wrong...?)"

"I am going for something to clean it up," Justin said as he headed away with Karo.

"Anyway, Bel? Have you seen Cruz today?" Reese asked the Danish. "Yeah. He's moving to Wendy's flat," Bel replied, "I kinda got him into that." "So, why did you ask, Reese?" Niki wondered. "I wanted to analyze his bracelet. I think that it is possible to replicate it and use it as summoning means," Reese explained to them.

"And we can have our own dinosaurs?!" Dr. Taylor and Dark asked immediately. Reese smiled. "I don't see why not."

In the next moment, the door opened again. Alice with a hoodie on her head walked in. Once she saw Cole she stopped and looked away. "So, Alice..."

"Hey, why that long face?" Cole laughed. "How...? How can you laugh when you made her cry?" Alice asked him. "Huh?" "Kyra is... She went insane again because of you."

"She... What...?" Dark's eyes widen, she uncontrollably trembled in fear. "IT'S ONLY YOUR FAULT SHE TRIES TO KILL HERSELF AGAIN, COLE!" Alice screamed.

"Again...?" Cole wondered. His jaw dropped.

"When dad died, Kyra desperately wanted to see him," Nicolas started, "her mind went totally blank and... She wanted to die." "Not only once, but several times," Reese joined, looking away from everyone, "Kyra's supersensitive since then."

"You drove her to that, Cole," Alice growled. "I-I didn't want to... I didn't even know about that!"

"You don't know what it's like! Seeing her dying in despair! I watch it every single night because of my crystal... AND NOW I MUST WATCH IT EVERY DAY IN REAL LIFE!" Tears were running down her face. "I can't take this anymore! Watching the worst things that ever happened and will happen to my friends and family every single night! Not being able to have normal dreams... It drives me crazy..."

"Sis...?"

"Your father had the same problem," Dr. Taylor told her, "but he was able to face it. Just try not to think about it. He said: 'If you're going to sleep thinking about what happened or what can happen, it will follow you forever.' You can do it."

"That's... Exactly what he used to tell me," Alice murmured, "thank you." A smile finally appeared her face. "I'm so sorry, guys, for acting like that. Especially I apologize to you, Max and Cole."

"Welp, it's okay," Cole assured her, "I'm the one who should be sorry... I didn't even know Kyra-" "Mom's taking care of her," Nicolas said, "she's fine."

"I must also apologize to Rex. I had no right to say what I said," Alice sobs a little bit, "and I'm afraid he hates me now. And I won't be able to say something once I'll look into his beautiful blue eyes."

The door behind her opened, but she didn't notice.

"Oh, not that again..." Nicolas sighed and facepalmed.

"Oh, I can already feel I'm melting inside just thinking about them. Hee! Whatwouldhethinkofmeifhe'dfindout?! He'dbemaaaad! Eeeh!"

"Uhm... Alice...?"

Her face turned totally red, she was shaking. Ears of the voiced that sounded behind were never supposed to hear that. She didn't move a muscle until something nuzzled her leg. Her eyes slowly fell down seeing the little Pachycephalosaurus. Tashi slightly purred at her partner: _"This is awkward..."_

Nicolas was just laughing. Niki glared at him, but it didn't do anything. Others still kinda shocked by Alice's speech were just staring in silence.

Alice turned around, the person she wished not to stand there... Was standing right behind her, blushing.

"EEEH!"

"I wouldn't be mad," Rex slightly smiling. "Eh?"

Those words made her feel even worse, he knew what she said and he knew she meant him.

Ace came to her and nuzzled her leg too.

"Rrosh...? (What happened to her? Her body is hot...)"

"Uh... I'm sorry..."

With her face completely red and her curious partner, Alice headed out. Rex reached his hand to her. "Alice, wait-"

The door closed behind her. "Alice..."

Nicolas was still laughing. "Hey! This isn't funny!" Max stood up for Alice. "Oh, C'mon! Laughing at my sister's broken heart _is_ funny!"

"You be quiet, Nicolas!" Rex snapped. "She technically confessed her crazy stupid feelings to you. And you did nothing."

"Rosh! (You!)" Ace ran to Nicolas ready to bite him, but Ria knocked the Carnotaurus away. "What's your deal, blonde?" Nicolas wondered. "You have no right talking about Alice like that!"

"So, that's what happened... Nick, I'm sorry that your dad died, but-" "But acting like that is really too far!" Bel yelled.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever..."

Nicolas and Ria headed the same way as his sister. "Nick..."

"Since we have this problem solved, there is something more I wanted to-Gha! Ha..." Reese's eyes widen, her legs almost broke under her. "Reese!" Everyone ran to her. "I'm fine... I'm fine... Don't worry."

"Yeah? What was this just about?" Max wondered. "My head just hurts a little, I didn't sleep last night. I needed to work on something here," Reese explained, putting her hand on her head, "ugh..." "I told you not to work too hard now," Dr. Taylor reminded her. "I know..." "Don't forget what happened last time you stayed awake," Rex said.

"But the last time I did it for Zoe, I would stay awake for the whole month if I had to, but... This wasn't the case. I'll be okay."

"Wait..." Max remembered something at the moment, something important. "I gotta go!" he said and ran out of the D-lab, Chomp following him.

"I'll go to the library," Reese said, "if Cruz shows up by then, tell him to leave his bracelet here. Once I'm back I'll try to create a new summoning device with Justin." "You're just giving him time to clean," Bel understood, "right?" Reese nodded. "I hope I won't see any dirty spot here once I'll come back."

And with those words, she left.

* * *

 **Library, later**

Sorting all the books she read, she sat down. After listing through at least 15 books related to the legendary crystals, Greyholt legend, or the mysterious Akuno, she was pretty tired. She found nothing she was looking for, wasting her time to just give up and leave without any result. Not a single information included in the books helped her to understand how can she use the power of the crystals the way she needed. Or she rather didn't want to find it.

The last time she tried to use bigger power than she knew, she and her friends almost ended up dead.

Her quick steps headed to the bookshelves to put the books in their places, but then someone ran into her. "Ugh!" She raised her head up and looked into a man's face. "Hey, watch your s-" He stopped his speech once he saw her face.

The brunette man with curious greenish blue eyes, not much older than her, stared at the young scientist for a while.

"Excuse me?! Shouldn't you apologize to me?" Reese wondered. "Wha-Why?" the man rudely mumbled. "No offense, but you're a man _and_ you ran into me."

"You're much more annoying than you looked, missy," the man almost snapped. He was getting on the blonde woman's nerves.

"Look, girl, I've been watching you for a while and I think I found something you'll be interested in," he said as he handed her a book she didn't notice before.

"So, not only rude but a stalker too, huh?"

"Eh? It's not-Whatever..."

Reese took the book, but as soon as she opened it, she gasped and the book hit the ground. The first page she's seen there... It couldn't be the truth. Th-that picture... It woke her worst nightmares and fears.

The book lying on the ground with the same page open showed a picture of an older woman. _"A pretty normal picture,"_ the man thought. Grey hair, dark eyes, paler skin, laugh, he didn't know why that girl is acting so strange.

Her dark eyes made Reese feel useless. The maniacal laugh woman's picture captured almost scared her to death, she heard that laugh. Reese's heart hurt and beaten so fast, a weird taste was in her mouth, her insides felt like they were pierced again. She wasn't sure if she's gonna collapse, throw up, or scream in horrible pain. It happened all at once.

* * *

She opened her eyes. Around 30 years old woman was smiling at her. She was in the hospital. "Wendy?" "These things happen to you pretty often," Wendy laughed, "are you feeling okay?"

"I guess..."

"I called your parents, they're already on their way," she said. "You didn't have to, I'm fine," Reese tried to assure her. "The boy that was with you in the library, after you were transferred here, he rushed here as fast as he could. He gave me this." Wendy showed her the book. "I think I know why that happened to you," she admitted.

Reese got to her feet. "I'll call them and tell them to stay home. I don't want them to be worried." "That's why I didn't let Kyra or your sister know, they would freak out."

Reese headed out.

Once the stranger noticed her, he wanted to follow her and ask her if she's okay. The blonde went behind the corner and started the call.

"Hi... No, I'm fine... It was just-... I'll be home around ten, okay? I have some work in the D-lab, but then I'll head straight home. I-... Just don't tell it to Zoe. Don't worry... Okay, bye."

She walked back and almost ran into the stranger.

"Hey, hey, calm down. Are you okay?" he wondered. "Why do you care?" Reese snapped. "You know I kinda care when a pretty girl collapses right in front of me. You don't have to be worried about that vomiting part though," he said, "I'm just glad you're alive." Reese said nothing at all.

Wendy came to them. "Reese." "I'm alright, just promise me you won't tell the others."

"Don't worry about that," Wendy assured her.

"Can I take that book?" Reese asked Wendy. The doctor nodded.

"See you soon, Wendy."

"I hope not," Wendy whispered as her friend walked home, not even looking at the man.

"Is she always like that?" he asked. Wendy rather didn't answer that.

* * *

 **D-lab, later**

Reese entered the room, the crew changed since she was last there, only girls and Stegi were hanging out. "Reese, you're back!" Bel noticed. "Hi, sis..." Zoe murmured. Paris happily ran to her partner's sister. "So, you found something?" Niki wondered. Reese only shook her head. "Guess no one has a lucky day today," Sue said, "or any other day since it all ended." Reese walked to them, looking at her sister. Zoe was staring at the floor, sad, upset.

"What happened?" Reese wondered. "Nothing!" Zoe snapped. "Good mood, huh? Weren't you supposed to be on a date, sis?" "Tch."

"Yeah, but that hell idiot didn't come," Sue explained, "unbelievable! If Zoe asked _me_ on a date, **I would 1000% come no matter what**!"

"Okay, you can calm down, Sue," Bel told her, "and if you wanna date Zoe, just ask her." "WHAAA!? I DIDN'T-" Sue's face was totally red.

Bel just laughed. "Hey! That isn't funny!" But others had a different opinion, even Zoe laughed a little.

"Yeah, yeah, thank you for making fun of me caring for my best friend!" Sue growled. "Sorry..."

"By the way... Who... was your date...?" Dark wondered. "Uh... Well," Zoe mumbled and looked away, blushing, "one of my... friends..."

Paris slightly called out. "H-him...?" "You've got to be kidding me..." Reese sighed. "Sis... Out. Of. _Al_ _l._ People. You seriously wanted to go on a date with Max Taylor?"

"The hell, girl?!"

"It's unbelievable how you two understood that," Bel commented. "Sis, if you have chosen someone better, maybe you wouldn't be brokenhearted by now," Reese said. "What's that supposed to mean?!" Zoe yelled at her. "A guy that would care would come. I never thought you and Max would..." "Didn't we talk about this yesterday?" Zoe wondered.

"Well, I expected that, especially after what happened in the Akuno," Niki pointed to a kiss between the two.

"I was just trying to save his dumb life!" Zoe snapped, "and he just forgot!" "Fine. Let's go out and forget about that as well," Sue suggested. The girls agreed.

"Just make sure Zoe will be home before nine," Reese told them before they left.

* * *

 **Later**

Reese was listing through the book that guy wanted to give her when the door opened. She didn't look who it was, she barely noticed, she was too focused on the book. She skipped that horrible page 66 and continued reading.

"Hm... Who could-" "Um, Reese?" He lightly patted on her shoulder. "Huh?!" She gave a quick lurch and looked behind. Dr. Taylor was standing there. "Uh... Sorry... I was just-" "Out of reality," he finished instead of her. "Yeah, it can be said." Reese stood up.

"Is something wrong?" Dr. Taylor wondered. "No... Maybe... I'm little worried about Zoe. She's growing up to this bad age, dating, broken heart-" "Max came late I guess," he interrupted her again. "He didn't come at all," she said, "I'm sure he'll regret that rather by Zoe's hands or mine."

The doctor gave the scientist a big smile. "You can't protect her forever." "She's still just a kid."

"Like you aren't," Spike laughed. "…Really? I got out of university when I was 18 and started working here at 13 years, I feel mature enough. And I don't act childish for my age."

"Ugh...? That was cruel from you... Anyway, are you feeling better?" he wondered. "What are you talking about?" she asked him, "if you mean before, my head doesn't hurt anymore. I'm fine." "I know what happened in the library."

"Am I stopping to be a good liar?"

"No. Your father called me," Dr. Taylor explained, "why did-" "Just look at page 66 and you'll hopefully understand," Reese said as she pointed at the book. Dr. Taylor headed to the desk and opened the book on that page and understood.

Reese closed her eyes for a while. "It is hard to just forget when she was following me for two years. They won't understand I can't get over it during a few days, but I don't want them to know. Zoe, Max, Rex, and Alice would be worried about me, and the rest of the owners don't even know I am the creator of the last crystal... She isn't completely gone, not in my nightmares." Touching the scarf around her neck, letting a tear fall, she showed a fear.

"I can't let her... do that again..."

"It won't happen again." Dr. Taylor put his hand on her shoulder. Reese smiled a little.

"Thank you... For not giving up on me back then. I need to breathe a little, I'll go outside and when I'm back we can start working on the device if Justin's still here."

"Yes, he's still cleaning with the boys."

"Please, don't mention this in front of the kids," Reese said as she took the book and walked outside.

* * *

 **Lake**

"...Hey, Ronwe..." Reese said, standing near the lake, holding the book, "I don't know if you can hear me, but do you hate Zepar for what she's done? Despite being your sister, you hate her, don't you? I'm just afraid... I'm afraid they will hate me. I'm afraid Zoe hates me... Zepar forced me to hurt her... I know I don't deserve it, but she promised me to heal me. You can't do anything about it. Is Zepar a liar or was she telling a truth? It'll maybe sound naive, but I need to know if she was about to help me. Huh-"

The time warp opened in front of her.


	4. My angel

"Ugh... What the..." The blonde opened her eyes. She couldn't see clearly, her glasses were gone. Blindly searching for them, she sat up. When she finally grabbed them, she put them on. She was at the lake...? It was already dark. She stood up, something felt wrong. She understood what once she turned the town's direction.

It was different... Totally different.

"No... I didn't just..."

Her head was still spinning a little, it was strange. She saw the book on the ground and picked it up. It was impossible...

"Ronwe? Did you do this?" she asked, "if yes, just send me back! I don't know what you want by this, but just send me home!"

 _No answer._

"I guess I must deal with this on my own. I just hope they are _here_."

She was walking through the new city, the technology around her didn't stop surprising her.

Her steps stopped once she spotted it, a big building on the other side of the city. "Really?" She quickly headed to it.

A light grey building looked totally different from the rest of the city. She wasn't sure if it is what she's looking for until she noticed a red logo in the shape of 'A'.

"Alright, if this isn't it then I don't know what is."

She turned back to the city, watching the hill on the other side. It was still there, the D-lab, it was in a horrible state, but... She smiled.

Facing the building again, her eyes spotted buttons with names, bells. Without hesitating, she pressed the button with that one name she couldn't forget.

She waited for somebody to open the door, a gritty voice sounded instead: "Hey! What do you want here?! This isn't a place for visitors!" She looked up at the security camera that was watching her.

"Huh? Who is that?" a little girl's voice asked and gasped, "no way! How-" "Grandpa, let her in!" a boyish voice joined.

The door opened.

Reese stepped into a trap looking room with all the lights on. The door closed behind her.

She heard approaching fast footsteps from a corridor. When she turned its way, a pink-haired 11 years old girl with emerald eyes ran to her, her dark-haired older brother following.

"Reese!"

"Rod! Laura!" A smile appeared on her face, but then she realized that it can't be the right time. If Rod is 17 and Laura is 11, that means they didn't come back yet, right? They don't know what happened, what is waiting for them.

"Reese, I'm glad to see you again!" Laura told her. "Yeah, me too."

"Alright, who you are," the same gritty voice from before came to them, it was an old man known as Dr. Z, "and what do you want here-Hey, you were with those brats, weren't you?" He recognized her. "Yes," Reese replied with resistance, "one of those how you call them 'brats' is my sister."

"I see..." Once he noticed two people walking to them, he yelled at them: "Where are you, three clowns?! Get that girl!"

"Roger that, doc!" a green-haired woman said with a voice similar to Reese's, but much sharper, and with a blue-haired fat man put out a dark blue-purplish device with the red logo on it.

"Hold on!" Rod stepped in front of Reese. "Have you already forgot that the D-team used to be our allies when we left?" Laura wondered, "plus Reese is one of the people that saved me from the Akuno! She helped us to get back!"

So, they both already went through that...

Dr. Z was silent for a while, starting at his granddaughter's determined face. "Fine!" He turned to his two stooges and realized one of them is missing. "Anyway, where is that third fool?! I called _all_ of you!" "He is his room," Ed nervously answered. "Why?!" "Well, you know, doctor, he's still feeling down because of Ellie," Ursula explained. "So what?!" Dr. Z kept on snapping.

In another moment, a tall black-haired man with sunglasses looking down walked to them. Reese smiled a little when she saw him. He looked up and saw her.

Suddenly, like a music came from nowhere, he was playing maracas, dancing towards Reese, and singing:

" **Oh, my Angel. I love my Dinosaur.**

 **But when I look into your eyes, I think I love you more.**

 **Be my Jurassic Valentine.**

 **Falling deep into your eyes, I love the way you archaeologies.**

 **Angel stay with me forever moooooooore.**

 **And love me like you love your dinosaur.** "

Others just started.

Reese chuckled a little. "Nice to see you too, Zander." "I thought I'd never see you again, my angel," he said as he took her hands, making her blush.

"I hate to interrupt you, but how did you even get here, Reese?" Rod asked her, "I thought Ronwe is weak to transfer someone." "Honestly, I have no idea. I was at the lake and then the time rift opened," Reese replied. "By itself?" Laura wondered worriedly, "only Zepar and Ronwe are able to do something like that..." "Well, we can't really travel in time so... I guess you have to stay here for some time," Rod told Reese. She nodded.

"Hey, what do you mean to stay here?!" siblings' grandpa snapped, "I didn't allow anything like that!" "I don't see why it should be a pro-" "I don't agree either!" Ursula interrupted Ed, "if she's as big-mouthed as her sister it will be just trouble." Reese hatefully glared at her for that comment. "She is staying!" Zander shouted at everyone, scaring them. "Grr... Okay, okay!"

The winners smiled at each other. "Laura, I think you should take Reese to the guest room," Zander told her. "Sure!"

* * *

 **The guest room**

"Nine years?"

"Yeah."

"I thought you didn't travel back in time yet because you look-"

"Like this?" Laura wondered while laughing, "I can change back into Kami if you want. We only wanted live from the moment we stopped..." "You were this age when Rod left, weren't you?" Laura nodded.

"How is everyone doing? Is Zak okay?" "Yes, she is," Reese assured her, "everyone is. Even though we all have some bad luck since you're gone. For example, Zoe and Max were supposed to go on a date, but he forgot." "I see... Heh. I would expect that from him. He would lose his head if he could," Laura's comment made Reese smile.

"Seems I won't make him regret that for quite a while."

"Yeah, without a working time-machine or the stone plates we can't really help you... Rod and I traveled the same way as you did, it is absolutely random."

"It's okay."

"...Ok... I'm glad you're here, it was a long time since I last saw Zander smile."

"Really...? How long are you here?" Reese asked. "6 months," Laura replied, "and even after that grandpa is mad at the D-team for keeping all the cards. He was so angry when he found out that Drack and Dark stole them, but... I think... I think he decided to change once he found out that the Ancients were killed... He's maybe trying to act evil, but he isn't... Not when you compare him to Zepar..."

"Stop, thinking about her makes it even worse."

"S-sorry... What is with that book anyway?" Laura pointed at the book in Reese's hands. "It has some information about Akuno."

"Well, it's just a thought, but maybe it has something to do with your presence here. Can I-"

"Yeah." Reese handed her the book.

"You should rest," Laura said as she walked to the door, "we'll figure out what to do tomorrow. Good night, Reese."

"Good night, Laura."

The scientist was left in the room. "I never thought I'd hear that song ever again... And I hope Kyra won't find out about it if I'd be able to come back... Sis, I hope you're alright."

She wanted to go to sleep, she dressed up in a pajama that Laura gave her, but then someone knocked on the door.

When she opened the door, she saw the only person she wished to see. Those chains of love seem to be pretty strong.

"Hi, Zander."

"Um... Uh-H-hi!" He was blushing like crazy.

"What?" Reese wondered, "stop, you already saw me like this." "Oh, yes... I..." He was blushing, even more, it seemed like he just noticed she's wearing a pajama.

"I can change my clothes if this makes you uncomfortable."

"Huh?"

"Wait a minute."

She closed the door in front of him.

Zander sighed. He just made a fool of himself, he wished to see his angel for nine years and then he does this.

Reese came out of the room in her usual clothes, noticing a dying flower in a pocket on Zander's chest in his cape.

"You kept it..." she whispered. "Yeah... I couldn't just throw it away-" "So, you kept it for 6 months..."

"You kept one from me too, didn't you?" Zander remembered. "Yes." Her answer made him smile and the happiest in the last two months. She cares, why else would she keep a flower from him for two whole years?

Reese walked to the railing, looking at the night sky. "They're beautiful," she said in wonderment, watching the stars. Zander slowly stepped to her, raising his head up, agreeing with his crush.

"I thought they wouldn't be able to be seen from here since I thought there will be much more smog in the future."

"Well, people realized what's going on around them and started to do something with the ecology."

They both looked at each other in an embarrassment.

"This isn't the best topic I guess..." Reese admitted. "Yeah," Zander agreed, "I wanted to ask you... If all of that was real." "You mean the story Laura gave you? Yes, nothing of that is made up, maybe only the dreams."

"So, you actually went through all of those horrible things?"

"Yes."

"That's where you got all those scars..."

"Yes."

"I wish I was there to protect you, my angel..." Once Zander said those words, Reese's cheeks turned pink. "Don't worry. Like I said in that letter, Zoe, Max, and Rex take a good care of me, not only them, everyone," she assured him. "That's why I didn't feel bad for leaving. I know your sister, so, I knew I'm leaving you in good hands."

"In the best ones."

"Others took your story away and read it-" "At least they can understand," Reese interrupted Zander that looked away in guilty.

Unknown to them Zander's two siblings were watching them, hiding behind a corner.

"Remind me again why you woke me up," Ed said. "To spy," Ursula replied. "And why are we doing that?" Ed wondered. "Because I don't believe her. You read that 'story' too, Ed, you know what she did." "And why do you care, Ursula?"

"I just..."

"Look how happy Zander is with her. I haven't seen him like that since Ellie-"

"Just shut up and spy!" Ursula quietly snapped as she punched Ed. "Okay..." Ed only sobbed.

"Can I ask you something more, angel?" Zander wondered. "S-sure..."

"What's up with your two 'friends'? Kyra and Justin, I think." "Heh, aren't you jealous?" Reese chuckled, "they are like you said, friends. Justin used to be my assistant and now is my colleague. That date with him was because... It was the only way I could give him that cloak and show he's important in the D-lab. I would possibly date him if he was older, but... And Kyra maybe crushes on me, but I don't share those feelings, I am not a lesbian..."

"That's a relief..." Zander sighed.

"Now that you asked, I want to know something too. That girl Ellie, the others mentioned her name. Who is she?"

Zander looked down once he heard that name. Reese would swear she saw a tear running down his face. She panicked inside, not knowing what to do.

"Ah! I'm s-sorry... I didn't want to-"

"It's okay... She-"

"Look how sad he is, Ursula," Ed said, not able to hear what the couple is talking about, "I think it's because of Ellie again."

"Gr, I told you to shut up!" Ursula growled.

"I'm sorry about that..."

"Reese, can I ask one last thing?"

"Yeah...?"

"I know it'll hurt you... But is it true that you can't have-"

"That I can't have kids? Yes. It is a cruel reality," Reese confirmed, putting her hand on her belly, "of course there is a way, but an operation is too dangerous for me... And I'm too afraid..." She grabbed the railing, trembling like crazy. "Too scared of it..." Staring at the ground, eyes filled with tears.

"Um... Reese?"

"Huh?"

Reese snapped out of it, turning to Zander. "Sorry... I... It doesn't matter."

"No! It matters!" he yelled, "to me at least..."

"Zander..."

"For a long time, all I wanted was to see my angel, you! And now all I want is for you to be happy. I'll do anything."

"Zander... I..."

"I have an idea-"

"What do you think they're talking about?"

"I don't know!" Ursula snapped, "but wherever they go, whatever they do, we'll be right there waiting for them."

Reese raised her head up to Zander, smiling. "Really?" When he nodded, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek, making him blush again.

"Thank you! Thank you so much."

Her smile made Zander feel so warm. He decided to do it. Grabbing her shoulders, he leaned to her and-

"W-wait!" Reese said once she realized what he's planning to do.

Their noses were touching, they looked like dogs. They both blushed even more and laughed.

"Zander... You don't have to do this..."

"But I want to."

He started kissing her. Her body was paralyzed. Pulling herself closer, she closed her eyes and kissed him back.

"WHAAAA!" The two Alpha gang members silently screamed in surprised.

"Shall we go?" Zander asked. "Yeah," Reese replied, nodding and taking his hand. They headed away.

"Let's follow them!"

"Ursula, I don't think that's the best idea. We should give them some privacy."

"C'mon, they don't go to his or her room, so, it's not _that_! So let's move!"

* * *

 **The hospital**

They followed the couple all the way to the hospital, still having no idea about what they want to do.

When Zander and Reese disappeared in one of the doors, Ed tried to stop Ursula. "I don't think we should go there."

"Fine! We'll wait here."

"Okay... Why are we doing this, Ursula? Zander just wants someone to be with."

"Tch."

"You're jealous that he has someone and you don't?" Ed wondered. "No..." "Really? Look you're soon turning 40 and you didn't even kiss anyone yet-"

That was the worst thing for him to say. He got punched so hard that he fell on the ground.

"I'M NOT THAT OLD!"

Everyone in the hospital turned to them.

"That must have hurt," a young man laughed. "What do you want here, brat?!"

"I'm not that young," the man murmured, imitating Ursula.

"Hi, Jeremy..."

"Hi, Ed!"

* * *

Without any of them even surmising, something was coming, but this time it was actually a good thing.

A little miracle...


	5. I am-

**The present, September 19th, D-lab, Morning**

With their heads lying on the desk, both Dr. Taylor and Justin were sleeping. Only Karo was waking up when he sensed someone in the room. He opened his eyes and surprised by the two women glaring at the guys jumped to his feet, slightly growled at his partner, waking them both up. Justin literally did the same as Karo before. Dr. Taylor just smiled at the brunette. "Hi, Aki..." They both were scared by the females.

"Would at least letting us know you'll stay here kill you?" Lucy asked the guys. "I am sorry, mom..." "We were worried about you," Aki said. "Sorry... We've been waiting for Reese to work and I guess we fell asleep," Dr. Taylor tried to explain. That made Justin realize something: "Moment, did she even come here? I do not think she did." Karo shook his head. "Maybe she went home-" "No, she would definitely let us know," Justin interrupted Mrs. Taylor, grabbing his chin. He was afraid and when the door opened and Zoe with Paris entered, his fear was confirmed.

"Did you guys see Reese today?" she wondered, "she didn't come home."

"We've got a trouble," Justin said.

* * *

"What do you mean nowhere to be found?!" Cole asked loudly when they explained everything to him, Max, and Rex. "How?! She couldn't just vanish!" Max said.

"THEN JUST DON'T STAND HERE AND HELP US LOOK FOR HER!" Zoe full of tears burst at Max. "We looked everywhere," Aki told her. "Then it wasn't enough! She couldn't just vanish..."

"Zoe, calm down. We will find her," Rex tried to assure his friend, "it won't happen again. Zepar is gone." "I hope..." Zoe closed her eyes for a few seconds until Max spoke up: "Yeah, that's rig-" "You shut up, Max!" she snapped. "Huh...?! You're still mad I guess..."

"Someone's trying several years to get you together and you seriously spoil it during one day, Kid," Cole growled, "anyway... I can't believe you were everywhere and she wasn't." "She doesn't even answer her phone," Dr. Taylor said. "Welp, that's pretty weird..."

Upset Zoe was just staring at the floor. Paris nuzzled her leg, making Zoe at least for while smile.

"Can't we just locate it?" Rex thought. "It would be a good idea," Justin, bringing some stuff, admitted, "but we cannot. The computer does not work." "I wonder why!" Max sarcastically laughed.

"It is not my fault!" Once he yelled that, everyone gave him a questioning glare. "Alright, we probably spilled some coffee-"

"Again!"

"I need to fix it now. Several hardware parts are completely destroyed and the worst thing about it is that technically only Reese is able to fix everything."

"So, there is no 100% chance it will work?" Rex wondered. Justin sadly nodded. "Only a 98% chance of me failing..."

"Justin, remind me again why did I buy you a laptop when you don't even use it?" Lucy wondered. "There is a program in the lab's computer with locating functions, but not in my laptop," Justin explained and started working on repairs, "give me some time."

"Did anyone say time?" asked until now unnoticed Alice with her Pachycephalosaurus. "Ali, you were supposed to stay with Kyra," Lucy reminded her daughter. "That's exactly what I'm doing."

As long as she said that Jessica the white Corythosaurus and her owner Kyra ran into the room, worried sick about their friend. "Did you find her yet?" she asked immediately. Others shook their heads.

"No..." Kyra's eyes fell down, her fist shaking.

"Did... Did you look everywhere? Home, here? Her old apartment? Airport? Hospital...?" "Everywhere, Kyra," Lucy told her. "...I see..."

Cole turned away from Kyra without any word.

After a while, two other people and one dino joined them, Dark, Sabi, and Star the Dilophosaurus. "Anything new?" Max asked them. "Lo Siento..." Dark whispered. Her apology made Zoe even sadder.

Her sister was just gone...

"For some reason, this reminds me of when Ema disappeared," Sabi remembered, "but she ran away to Luminary village. I also thought..." She turned to Max and lower her voice so only he can hear her. "That it maybe has to do something with the last crystal. Max, I know what you said in the Akuno, she created it. I won't tell it to anyone, not to make her troubles, but try to think about it." "Maybe..."

"We must find her," Kyra said anxiously, "the last time no one saw her for some time, she was locked in her apartment totally drunk." "Drunk?!" That thought scared Zoe so much, her legs were trembling. "Yeah..." Kyra confirmed, "but thinking about it... It was the totally different situation... Zoe was gone, J betrayed her, she was all alone for a long time and freshly facing the fact she can't-She's fine!" Shaking her head, she tried to assure herself.

"Um, guys, I know-"

"Yeah, yeah. She'll be okay!" Kyra laughed, interrupting her little sister.

"Everyone?" a high voice sounded behind the computer. "Yeah?" the others replied unison. "When I said 'give me some time'... I suppose this needs more time than expected," Justin told them as he straightened up. "Wasn't it just a spilled coffee?" Cole wondered. "Yes, that is what I thought, but it seems somebody physically damaged the computer's hardware on purpose, not only by coffee. Somebody who understands it and knows what to do. It was made several days ago."

 _"No way..."_ Rex looked at Max and then at Zoe, it looked like only he realized who damaged the computer.

"Huh?"

"How?"

"Who would do that?" they were asking. "I have no idea, but to repair all of it as soon as possible I must stay here the whole night. In the end, I hope I will be able to make it work again."

"Guys-"

"There is still one place we didn't search in," Max suddenly realized, just like Kyra before he interrupted Alice, "Akuno." "Why would she go back there?!" Zoe yelled at him, "she almost died there and-" "I don't know why," Max admitted, "but she can be. It's a possibility."

"Okay... Then let's go!" Zoe said. "Wait..." Dark stopped her. "Why?!" "If... she really is okay... she'll come back soon... It's a big risk... to go to... the Akuno... there are still traps..."

"...Fine... Tomorrow! But then nobody can stop me!" Zoe shouted determinately.

* * *

 **September 20th, D-lab**

Alice, Tashi, Kyra, Jessica, and Karo were hanging out, waiting for the others to come back from the Akuno. Justin was still repairing the computer.

"Hey, you know-"

"I think I got it!" Justin cheered, carefully turning on the computer. The monitor lit up. "Yes!" "Ivi, you're a genius!"

Right after that, the others (everyone from yesterday, minus Sabi and Star, plus Dengyo, Kenji, Sue, Ema, and Niki with their partners) came back, having two papers.

Unsuccessfully.

They just didn't let her finish. While everyone was talking, she was filled with anger, wanting to leave them behind.

"They look like pages from the book Reese had with her." "And you found it near the lake?" she heard voices but wanted to ignore them. They ignored her too, all the time.

"Justin, that's awesome!"

"Oh no..."

"What's wrong?"

"It is unable to locate her..." "So, what do we do now...?"

That was too much.

"Hey!" Alice yelled at everyone. They looked at her in surprise. "How long are you going to ignore me?!" "What do you mean?" Ema wondered. "I know where Reese is," Alice answered calmly.

"Really?!"

"So, why didn't you say so earlier?" Niki asked her. "I tried, but no one-LITERALLY NO ONE-of you listened to me!" Alice snapped.

She waited for apologies to slip out of everyone's mouths.

"Thank you..."

"Then where is she?" Zoe asked desperately. "She is in the future."

"What?!"

"The year 2136 I guess... Nine years-" "Nine years since we traveled from here," Rex finished. "And this is exactly how we got into this situation, not letting the only person that can know literally everything talk," Alice murmured.

"Okay then, miss I know everything, tell us how the hell we're gonna get there!" Sue growled. "Why do I have to do everything?" Alice wondered, rolling her eyes, "there are some documents with info how we should be able to travel in time without Ronwe's power because I think she's a little tired. But to spear some time, it says that the original seven stone plates combined with my crystal are theoretically able to open the time rift and take us to the time we want."

"We can?"

"Yeah, but-" "Then what are we waiting for?" Zoe asked others. "That's just a theory!" Alice snapped because Zoe interrupted her, "a game-" "Let me interrupt that reference," Sue said, "do you even remember how the hell it ended up the last time?" "That's right, we had to go save you," Ema agreed.

"But the last time we did not have the actual time," Justin remembered. "Well, we don't have a different idea or choice," Niki said.

* * *

 **The year 2136**

Reese was finally finishing the last details on the fifth little iron plate. She sighed, she was very tired.

"Finished already?" a blue-haired man with red triangles under his blue eyes asked. "Yeah... Finally." She turned to him. A pink flying droid with a camera was following the man.

"Thank you for help, Seth."

"No problem. But it surprised me that you trust me," Seth admitted. He referred to the moment he used the Crylophosaurus against her and not only her to lure Zoe and the others to him, and he betrayed every person he could. That's why he is being watched.

"I'll take them to the others to try it," Reese said as she stood up, took the plates and headed away.

Walking through the corridor, three little dinos ran around her, causing her to trip over them, dropping the plates, and falling to the floor. Her hands stopped her fall.

"Reese!" Zander quickly came to her, worried. "A-are you okay?! Did you hit your-" "No... Nothing happened to me..."

He helped her to stand up and picked up four out of five plates. The fifth one was taken by Terry that then ran away. "T-Terry! Come back!" Reese yelled at him. Spiny followed the T-rex to stop him.

"I'm so glad you aren't hurt," Zander told her, "I don't think you should work so hard now." "I'm okay... Don't worry, if anything happens I'll let you know right away. And I'll stop doing anything dangerous," Reese assured him.

"I just don't want you to-" "I know..." Reese interrupted her partner and kissed him, taking his hand.

Then they heard somebody yelling near the main door, only one person yells like that. They both headed its way.

* * *

 **The present, September 20th**

"I'm sorry... For bursting out like that..." Alice said when almost everyone was gone, "again..." "It's okay," Rex told her, making her blush a little. "Yeah, we're sorry for not listening to you," Max said and turned to Zoe, waiting for her to say something. She didn't want to agree with Max.

"It won't happen again, Alice," she spoke up. "Thanks..." "But are you sure she was alright?" "From what I could see-" Alice's head hurt when she tried to look into the future, she grabbed her head. "Ah!" "Alice! What's wrong?!" Rex ran to her.

"N-nothing... W-we should go..." Tashi worriedly roared. "I'm fine..." "You sure?" Zoe asked. "Yeah..." "You can stay here if you want," Max suggested. "No, you need me to open the time rift," Alice objected, "we're already leaving enough people behind to cover our mission. I'll be fine."

Determined to save their friend, they headed to the lake, to the future.

* * *

 **The year 2136**

Stepping into the main hall, Reese's eyes widen in surprise. Her friends were standing in front of her. Max, Chomp, Rex, Ace, Zoe, Paris, Alice, Tashi, Justin, Karo, Sue, Annie, Dengyo, Shadow, Kyra, Jessica, Cole, Mitch, Dark, and Kenji were there. The rest of the Alpha gang was in the room as well. It looked like Zoe and Ursula were arguing as always and Sue was protecting Zoe, ready to turn Annie in her adult form.

"Guys?"

"Reese!" Once Zoe noticed her sister, she ran to her and hugged her. "Reese, I'm so glad you're okay," she said. "Zoe... Of course, I am..." Reese hugged her back, letting go of Zander's hand.

"Ree!" Kyra wrapped her arms around her. "K-Kyra... I can't breathe..." "S-sorry!"

"What are you doing here?" Reese asked them. "Looking for you," Kenji replied. "Huh?" "You just disappeared," Justin explained, "we have been waiting for you like you told us to, but you did not come at all. You have been nowhere to be found. That is why we used the original seven stone plates and Alice's crystal to get here."

"Welp, can we go home now?" Cole wondered. "Thank you for worrying, but I can't go home," Reese told them. They glared at her in shock. Zoe's smile totally vanished. "What do you mean...?"

"I'm staying here."

"But why?" Max didn't understand. "I still have some work and research here and I'm-" "Is your work really more important than a family to you?!" Zoe snapped. "Zoe, it's not like-"

"Then what is it like?! You joined the Alpha gang and don't want to go home! I was so worried about you! Especially after what happened in the Akuno!"

"So, what if I joined them. I survived 2 months like this, there is no need to worry. I can take care of myself, okay?"

"Why are you doing this to me, sis?! Still getting into troubles! Doing things on your own! This is exactly what almost cost your life! I just don't want that to happen again! I don't want you to die! I don't want you to be sad because of your injuries!"

"She is still annoying," Ursula commented.

"Just calm down. Let me at least explain it to you," Reese said calmly, "I thought I'd tell you a little bit later, but the reason I need to stay is that I am-"

"I don't care about that!" Zoe snapped. "If you think so... I won't even try when it's pointless." "You've been here for 2 months and didn't even try to find a way back home!"

"Just stop acting like a little child and shut up!" Reese growled. That made Zoe close her mouth.

"Ree... That was too harsh..." Kyra murmured. "I must be harsh when it's the only thing that works on my stubborn sister."

"S-stop! Stop arguing..." Dark sobbed, trying step between the sisters, "you shouldn't..." "Hmpf! Why are you acting so flawless, sis?!"

"Not so flawless as you miss little princess."

"Ooh. This is bad..." Cole whispered. "Really bad..." Kenji joined. "Stopping them is impossible," Rex theorized. "Then what the hell should we do?" Sue wondered.

"Take it back!"

"I'm so sorry, your majesty. Did I say something wrong? Tell me, Zoe, why do you always have to get what you want? Why do you have everything?"

"What?!"

"Why you won't let me have some of that happiness-" "Reese, stop!" Zander finally stepped between them, taking Reese's hands. "Huh...?" "You know you shouldn't get angry now," he reminded her, "it can be dangerous." "...sorry... I forgot..." Reese closed her eyes in guilty, letting a few tears fall. Zander hugged her to comfort her.

"…Reese…?" Zoe worriedly watched. There was something wrong, she wanted to know.

"Reese, I-" She was ready to apologize, but Reese turned around and headed away. "I'm glad you came, but go back." "Reese, wait!" Zoe called out. Her big sister ignored her and left. Zoe looked at the floor. "I'm sorry..." "Girl, stop. Why the hell are you blaming yourself?" Sue asked her best friend, "she started it. We're making our long way here and she doesn't even appraise it! C'mon!" "How was that Ree's fault?" Kyra wondered. "It was too much from both sides," Justin said.

"I agree with her," Zander joined, "Reese did nothing wrong." "Oh, please!" Sue was ready to summon Annie. He looked a little scared of her. "Really? She can't a miss perfect."

"I already lost what they're arguing about," Ed said. "I don't know or care," Ursula growled.

"Hey, what is this all mess about?" Laura entering the room with her brother and grandfather asked, "everyone...?" Kyra stared at the girl, not recognizing her. "I thought you'd come soon."

"Laura...?"

"Yeah."

Kyra hugged her ex-best friend. "You are adorable, Kami!" Laura only sighed.

"What you want here, thieves?!" Dr. Z snapped. "Thieves?" Max wondered, "it's just us." "You stole all of my cards!"

"Your cards?!" Rex burst out, his fists shaking in anger, "you're just stealing the credit for things my parents did! Not even their death stops you from that!" His eyes were filled with tears.

"Rex..." Alice put her hand on his shoulder, but he shook it off. Ace slightly hissed.

"Just as I expected, their death didn't change you at all!"

"Yeah!" Zoe agreed, "the same with the rest, Zander and Ed are still cowards and the old lady is still old!" "I'M NOT OLD! AFTER NINE YEARS I STILL LOOK YOUNG!"

"But you're as evil as you were!" Cole joined, ready to summon the Compy squad, "no one gave me chance to make you pay for everything you did to my brother and his friends!" "Cole, wait-" "That's hell right!" Sue yelled, "this will be for everything you did to my best friend!"

"If you want a battle you'll get it. ALPHA GANG, ATTACK!"

Dr. Z's three stooges took those iron plates created by Reese, putting them inside the Alpha scanners and turning their dinos into cards.

"STOP!" Dark ran into their way. "D-Dark, this isn't the best thing to do when they're going to fight!" Kenji told her. "And a battle isn't... the best thing... to do right now..." Dark replied. "Get out of the way if you don't want to be eaten by my Alpha dinosaurs!" She didn't take Dr. Z's threat seriously, not moving away.

"No way!" Kenji stepped in front of Dark to protect her. "I won't let you hurt her!" "Kenji, don't do anything stupid," Dengyo said. Kenji maybe acted like bravely, but his knees were shaking.

"Let's see how big hero you'll be, boy!"

"ALPHA SLASH!"

Once the three Alpha gang members swiped their cards through the Alpha scanners, Terry, Spiny, and Tank appeared in battle forms. Kenji tried to be brave, but all those sharp teeth made him faint. Dark stayed calm, she believed that they won't attack her. "Kenji!" "That's enough. Not my brother!"

"DINO SLASH!" Cole, Sue, and Dengyo summoned their dinosaurs into the battle, Mitch, Alpha, Zeta, Gamma, and Delta the Compsognathus, Annie the Daspletosaurus, and Shadow the Lufengosaurus.

"Wait!" Dark screamed, "we can't fight." "Why not?!" the trio snapped. "It is not the smartest decision," Justin tried to explain them.

"Everyone, stop!" Laura put in, "there's no need to fight. Grandpa, we let them have the cards because they're their friends. I know you remember how sad others were when they had to say their goodbyes." "Just walk away, we don't wanna hurt you," Cole said. "We only want to hurt them," Dengyo murmured. "Let me just burn them already!"

"No... Fighting against each other... isn't right..." Dark whispered. "Dar, Kam... They will hurt you," Kyra worriedly squeaked. "They won't hurt them," Max said, "Dr. Z, do you really want your granddaughter to hate you for hurting her friends?!" "Ugh?!"

"That's right," Laura said, "they are my friends and I care about them. I wouldn't forgive you that. And, Zander, I think Reese wouldn't forgive you either." After those words, Zander called back Spiny. Zoe couldn't believe her eyes. Almost minutes staring at Laura, Dr. Z said: "Quit the fight." "WHAT?!" "I said 'QUIT'!" Ed obeyed, retrieving Tank. The only dinosaur kept was Terry. Laura smiled at her grandfather.

"Oh, what happened to you?!" Ursula wondered, "I'm not giving up! **Volcano burst**!" As she swiped a move card Terry sent a fire to the ground, heading to the D-team and Laura. Annie stood in front of them and got hit, roaring in agony. "HEY! WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT?!" Sue yelled.

Ursula changed Terry into a card, taking it, and walking away.

"The hell was that?!" Sue snapped as she turned Annie into a chibi form and lifted her from the ground, "you okay?" The Daspletosaurus answered with a slight growl. Cole and Dengyo changed their dinosaurs as well.

"I don't remember her being like that," Zoe admitted. "Well, she acts like this for quite a while, but nobody knows why..." Ed explained. "But to surprise you, even more, she actually missed you guys," Rod said. "That's hard to believe."

"Hey, how long are you going to stay here?!" Dr. Z asked the group. "Until the Little Genius doesn't change her mind," Sue replied. "Right," Dengyo agreed, "we came here for her and we won't leave without her." "I don't get why she even wants to stay here," Zoe mumbled. "She has a good reason for that," Zander told her. "Of course, her work. Nothing is more important than that!" "Why can't you just respect your sister's choice, brat?!" "Because I care about her! I don't want her to be around people like you!"

"H-hold on..." Dark stopped their fight, "please... not another fight..."

"Welp, since we're here I would like to see some sci-fi!" Cole laughed. "Guess you're not the only one," Sue commented, watching amazed Justin curiously looking around at all the inventions, "he's hell hypnotized." "I can show you the town," Laura said. "I'll go with you," Dengyo joined. "Me... too..." Dark whispered, waking Kenji up. He slightly opened his eyes, seeing the young Spanish leaning over him. "Maybe a kiss would help me," he murmured, closing his eyes with his lips ready. "Forget it, prince," Dark snapped, making Kenji's smile disappear. "I'm going as well," he said as he stood up.

"I'd rather know something about my fate, you know," Sue said. "There are archives where you can found that info," Rod explained, "it's where the library stands in the present." "Great! Girl, you go too?" Sue wondered. "Huh? Um, yeah, sure!"

"For me, I... I need to go somewhere, so..." Rex turned around and walked out with Ace. Alice unnoticeably followed.

"I'll stay and look over Ivi," Kyra said. Max nodded and stayed too.

When the others left, he sighed and said: "I never expected our reunion to be like this." "I didn't even have a chance to introduce myself... That reminds me-" Kyra quickly jumped to the Alpha gang with a big smile. "I'm Kyra L. Komatsu!" All three men were giving her confusing glare. "Kyra, not again..."

"I think I should check up on Reese-" Zander said, but someone interrupted him. "I'm here." The scientist came to them. "And I heard everything." "Ree!" "Kyra, no." Giving her friend a death glare, she sighed.

"Zoe is just worried about you, especially after Akuno," Max told her. "I know, but she must understand that I just can't go home now. And I bet no one of you will. You used the stone plates and Alice's crystal just like Justin said, after that, she didn't look the healthiest. Using a big amount of crystal's power can hurt you and I'm afraid she-"

"No!" Kyra cried, "b-but will Ally be okay? Right...?" "Give her some time to recover," Reese assured her and smiled. "Okay..."

"Reese, why can't you go home?" Max asked her, "I know nobody can now, but if we could." "Well..." Reese looked away from Max. "It's... It's complicated... I'm-" "Don't be a coward and tell them already!" Dr. Z snapped at her. "Doctor! I told you not to talk like that to my girlfriend!" Zander yelled at him. "Girlfriend?!"

Komatsu siblings' eyes widen in surprise. "That can't be true!" Kyra squeaked. "Y-you c-ca-ca-can-not m-mean..." Justin, whose attention the news got too, stuttered. Reese blushed in embarrassment. "Um... Zan, you know that... I do-don't like that word..." According to Kyra, she looked sweet and cute.

"Oh, stop it!"

"Reese, I never saw you like this," Max said. "Huh?! Uh... I-I..."

"B-but I th-thought..." came out of Justin with tears in his eyes. Max knew that glare, a broken heart. "That's not fair!" Kyra sobbed, "I was trying for so long to get Ree, but nothing! And you're her boyfriend after 2 months?!"

"Eh?!" Reese blushed even more. She shook her head to snap out of the embarrassment. "Kyra, that's a totally different situation."

"Do you realize Zoe's going to kill you when she'll find out?" Max asked Zander. "I'm afraid that'll happen..." "I wanted to talk to her about it... Like I know her, she'll be mad at you and happy for me, I hope. At least I can try to keep her on a leash," Reese said as she headed away. "I wanna see that," Max chuckled, "she almost killed even me for no reason." "Because you forgot about the date!" Reese reminded him, leaving the building. "Oh..."

Justin noticed the iron plate Terry stole, lying on the ground. "What is this?" he wondered as he picked it up. "Reese created them-" "Let me guess, it is to summon dinosaurs. Cruz has something similar... She is a real genius if she was able to make them."

* * *

 **Archives**

"The hell..." Sue mumbled standing with Zoe, Paris, Annie, and Rod in a building of the archives. It was a bigger version of the library, small pads were flying through the first place.

"Look for what you need, just say your name and a year of birth. Not all the info would be here because they started this project 100 years ago because the library burned down, the older entries are uncomplicated," Rod said. Sue and Annie headed between the what used to be called a bookshelf, Zoe and Paris followed them.

"Alright, Susan Ogata, 2001!" As soon as those words came out of Sue's mouth, a small pad flew to her with a photo of a brunette woman with glasses, some text next to it.

Sue looked closely at it. "Yeah... Yeah... Yeah..."

"Wait! If there's something about your death I think you shouldn't read it," Zoe realized. "Chill out, girl," Sue was still looking for the info, "I don't wanna be scared of a date or a way I die... Hm... Hm... Ah! Here!" Sue smiled. "...Husband...? Dengyo Shiraki?!" she shouted in surprise, "that bookworm? How the hell...? I thought it would be someone else."

"Who did you think you'd marry?" Zoe asked her. "N-no one..." "Sue... You never even told me who you have a crush on, I thought we have no secrets." "W-well... I-I..." Sue started blushing. "It's complicated... I..." Annie carefully pushed her partner towards Zoe.

"Sue...?"

"Um... G-girl, I... I met them 'cause of the not happy situation... M-my dog was sick and... Screw it!"

Not knowing that Reese is watching them, Sue grabbed Zoe's arm. "Huh?!" Pulling her best friend closer, Sue closed her eyes and kissed her. Zoe didn't know what to do, she let Sue continue. Sue backed off, knowing Zoe can't breathe, her face red. "Sue..." Her heart beating like crazy.

"Sorry, to distract you," Reese came to them. "Ah?!" Sue jumped behind her best friend. "I'm dead, I'm so dead!" "What...?" "You're both mad at me," Sue murmured. "No, I'm not mad," Zoe told her. "Huh?! Then... Now you know, Reese!" Sue got more brave suddenly. "I'm crushing on Zoe! It lasts for some time... She's my best friend and I will always protect her and treat her like a princess. I'd never make her cry, I'll only try to make her smile because her honest smile is the most beautiful thing about her. I love her! And I don't care what you think about it! But I'll give up on her love... I know Zoe for some time and I know she doesn't share those feelings, she isn't a lesbian or a bisexual like Kyra and I. I want her to be happy. I don't want her to force herself into something she doesn't want. Because I LOVE HER! I don't care what everyone thinks about me."

"Sue..." That speech made Zoe blush and smile. She kissed Sue on the cheek, making Sue's face totally red. "I said that I don't want to force you into this, girl... Hell, this was my longest kept secret..."

"Sue, I'm not mad at you either," Reese admitted, "I'm sure you'd treat Zoe better than any guy." "Maybe I won't date you, girl, but I can at least find the best guy for you!"

"Hey, what's going on here?" Rod that curiously walked to them wondered. "Nothing!" the girls quickly replied. Rod suspiciously glared at them.

"A-anyway! I know who I'll marry, now I wanna know about the kids!" pumped up Sue said, "so-" She realized what she said when she looked at Reese. "Uh! Sorry! I forgot..."

"It's okay, I'm not bothered by that anymore," Reese told her. "Whoa, you got finally over that after 6 months?" Sue wondered, "oops... I mean-" "No, it's just..."

"You didn't tell them yet?" Rod asked Reese. "I was planning that..." "The hell does he mean?" Sue wondered.

"Um, Reese...?"

"Heh... I guess I don't have another choice," Reese giggled.

"Sis, what's going on? Is something wrong?"

Reese smiled at her sister and friend, putting her hand on her belly like she always does since she was attacked, saying what they never thought they would hear from her: "I am-"


	6. It's not my family

When those three words came out of her mouth both Zoe and Sue didn't believe that, not even Paris or Annie did. "You... are..." Reese nodded to assure her little sister that she's right. "Yes, Zoe." "Hell no... There's no way!" Sue stared at the scientist still in disbelief.

Zoe smiled, ran to her sister and hugged her. "Reese, I'm so happy for you! Congratulations! That's amazing!" Reese hugged her back. "W-wait a minute, how?" Sue wondered, "I mean I know how... But I thought you can't get... You can't be pregnant... An operation would be too risky and-"

"Medicine got much better throughout the years," Rod explained, "it was pretty fast and safe."

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Zoe excitedly asked, "it's a girl, right?" "Calm down, sis. I don't know yet. It's too soon for that," Reese told her. "Since Zoe is so happy now, maybe you can tell them that you're dating Zander, Reese," Rod suggested. "You what?!" Zoe cried. Reese gave the boy a death glare. "How else do you think she got it?" Rod wondered. Reese was nervous thanks to that. Talking about those things in front of her baby sister, that was the worst.

"Reese? Are you really-" "Yes," Reese immediately replied, blushing, "that's why I can't go home now. I care about Zander and I wanna be with him. Of course, I care about you too, but I never felt like this before... This is what I always dreamed about... Not to mention that he wouldn't be able to see his own child if I'd leave. Plus I'm a little afraid to travel in time like this..." "Reese..." "I just can't..."

"Sis, I didn't even know... I'm so sorry I told you all of that. It's just that you are my family, my sister and I love you. I was so scared that you're hurt." "I'm sorry you thought that," Reese apologized, "but when I got here, there was no way to go back, so Zander, Rod, and Laura suggested that I'll stay with them. The same night Zander got an idea, an operation. A week after, everything was okay, the operation was successful and then... You know... I needed to pay somehow for staying in the guest room, that's why I started working for the Alpha gang, creating iron plates based on the ones Akuno stole from the Space Pirates. They need them since Sue, Ema, and Nicole have their stones." "And your iron plates work great," Sue admitted, "those three actually used them against us." "Well, Seth helped me with them," Reese said. "Seth?! Reese, you know you should stay away from him-" "We're keeping an eye on him," Rod assured Zoe.

"And how the hell are you gonna do that, Little Genius?" Sue asked Reese, "you can't stay here forever, the place where you belong to is the present." "I don't know yet..."

* * *

 **The present,** **September 22nd**

Cruz and Bel were heading back home from the school with River following them. "So, what do you think?" Bel wondered, "do you like school?" "It isn't as asombroso as Dengyo said," Cruz replied. "Um... What does that mean...?" "Amazing." "I see. It is hard, but it's still fantastiske," Bel admitted. "Yeah, I guess."

"Others are still looking for Reese?" she asked him. "Kinda..." Cruz knew the group traveled to the future just like the rest of the guardians know, but he couldn't tell her. It wasn't like he didn't believe her, it was to keep her out of danger. He knew if she'd find out she would try to help others and that was what he was afraid of.

"Don't you want to go drink something?" Cruz asked Bel. "Like a date...?" "If you want to call it like that." The Danish blushed a little. "Sure!" she replied with a smile. "Great, do you mind if the babysitter takes his work on a date?" "You know I don't mind Gerard," Bel said. "Bien, let's go for him."

* * *

Walking to the downtown, Andy couldn't keep his eyes off Sabi, making her feel uncomfortable. "Just stop this already!" she snapped, "or I go home." "Sorry..." Andy turned away, his cheeks red.

Star slightly growled: _"But I wanted to hang out with others..."_ _"Me too!"_ Aaron joined. _"You be quiet! I wanted to be with Stegi." "Why are you so cold at me? He isn't that amazing!" "I said be quiet."_ The Dilophosaurus hit the Coelophysis by her tail.

"The only reason I'm going is that Niki asked me to," Sabi said. "Got it!" Andy saluted for fun

"I'm not going to be with you."

"Got it!"

"Don't even try _anything_!"

"Got it!"

"And when I say anything, I mean anything! Understood?"

"Y-yes, ma'am!"

"Perfect..." Sabi walked faster and Star followed. "She really is a challenge to get, but," Andy said and looked at Aaron, "there's no challenge we can't beat!" Aaron roared in agreement.

* * *

"So, Sabi and Andy will be waiting for us near the ice-cream shop," Niki told Ema and Nicolas. "Fine..." Nicolas growled, "the only reason I'm going with you is my best friend and that promised ice-cream." "Because that's his only weakness," Ema laughed, "what else do you want from the owner of the ice crystal?" "Yeah, laugh! I like ice-cream, so what?!" he snapped, "the others have weaknesses too. Kyra has music, my stupid twin loves blue eyes of the blond idiot, and Justin's are lollipops."

"I guess I should leave and let you two go on that double date," Ema said. "IT'S NOT A FREAKING DATE!" Nicolas shouted at her, scaring Ellen the Ampelosaurus and Stegi the Stegosaurus to hide behind their partners. Niki blushed and played with her hair. "W-well, it would be a great idea!" Niki's blue eyes shined with excitement. "NO!"

"Well, it would be a good triple date, if Michael was still alive," Niki admitted. Ema's cheeks turned totally red. "E-even if he was a-alive, I wouldn't date Miharu! He..." "Please, don't get depressed," Nicolas mumbled. "You shut up!" "So, Ema, you can go with us," Niki suggested, "we don't mind." "Yeah, yeah! Hurry up! Ria and I can't wait to have some of that delicious ice-cream-" "Well, Nick, I don't think you feed your dino with an ice-cream is a good idea," Niki told him. "So what? She likes it."

"Tell me again why do you like this ignorant?" Ema asked Niki quietly. "He isn't that bad," Niki whispered back.

* * *

Near to Wendy's flat Cruz, Bel, and River heard a familiar voice screaming at someone: "Let me be! Stay away from me! I said stay-Aah!" "Huh?!" "Someone's in trouble..." "Wendy!" Cruz that voice recognized and ran to its source, Bel and River followed him.

When they saw Wendy she was lying on the ground, bleeding a little, two black-haired people were standing near her, a man and a woman. "Ugh... Cruz...? Cruz, Bel, get out of here!" Wendy tried to warn them, but only got people's attention. They turned at the couple. "Well, well, well, what have we here?" the man wondered, "I wouldn't expect you here, boy." "Oh, my little chico!" The woman came to Cruz, put her hands on his cheeks. "It was a long time, wasn't it?" "Don't talk to me!" Cruz snapped at her. "Cruz, who... Who are they?" Bel asked him.

"They are... my and Damita's 'parents'."

"What...?"

 _"Our 'parents' used to torture Damita."_

"You're hurting innocent people for no reason again?" Cruz wondered, walking to his father, "Bel, run away!" She didn't listen. The woman grabbed her hair. "I would rather obey him, little girl. This is going get real nasty." She slapped Bel. "Ah..."

"Bel!" Cruz turned back. The man took his hands and wrapped a rope around them, punishing him to the ground. "That was pretty easy," the man said and smirked, heading to Bel. "You-" Cruz struggled.

The man grabbed Bel's chin and wrist. Her eyes widen in fear, that evil smirk of his helped the fear grow. "I have an idea what we can do to her-" "DON'T TOUCH HER!" Cruz shouted. Wendy wanted to help Cruz, but River was faster. He chewed the rope until Cruz could stand up and run to the people. He punched the man, making him let go of Bel.

"I told you to run away!" Cruz reminded her. "I'm sorry-Watch out!" A hit from the man was coming, but Cruz wasn't fast enough to dodge. A stream of blood was flowing from his mouth. "Cruz!" He got kicked to his stomach, falling on his knees. "Ugh! R-run away..."

Bel with tears in her eyes obeyed him and ran to help Wendy, helping her to stand up. "I'm fine... Just scratches..." Wendy tried to assure her. When Bel looked back to the fight, she was speechless, scared. Cruz was almost lying on the ground, not able to defend himself, bleeding. Bel covered her eyes. "No... This is my fault... If I listened to him... I'm sorry... Undskyld... Undskyld!" she cried.

Little River rushed to help his partner. He jumped at the man and bit his arm. "AH!" The man shook him off, River's small blue body hit the ground. He growled in anger and got an idea. He turned against his own owner, attacking Cruz's wrist.

Bel peaked through her fingers, seeing River's action. "River! No! Don't hurt Cruz!" "Wait..." Wendy stopped Bel, realizing what River wants to do.

The man threw the Allosaurus hardly at the ground to the girls. "River!"

Bel finally noticed it too, a bracelet with a hexagon lying next to River, Cruz's bracelet he uses to summon his dinosaur. She knew what to do.

Picking the bracelet up, touching the hexagon, she changed River into a card that flew in her hand. "Dino-slash!" she said as she swiped the card across the hexagon, summoning the Allosaurus.

River's roar and presence scared the Makutos away, they rush as fast as they could, leaving Cruz alone. He smiled at his dinosaur and collapsed to the ground.

"Cruz!" Bel ran to him. "Cruz! Please, wake up..." She took his hand. River hissed and licked Cruz's face.

* * *

"This is not a double date!" Sabi snapped, already eating ice-cream with the rest of the group. "Well, why not?" Niki wondered, smiling. "Just no!" Sabi and Nicolas replied. "If it was, it would be awkward for me to be here," Ema laughed. "Like it isn't already," Andy commented. Ema glared at him.

 _"Huh? I know this smell,"_ Ellen growled and followed the smell. "Ellen? Where are going?" Ema wondered. The dino didn't react. Star looked angry and ran after Ellen. "What's wrong with them?" Nicolas asked. "Um, Star, wait!" They all followed them.

They stopped when they saw a brunette man pointing a gun at black-haired man and woman.

"You won't pull the trigger," the black-haired man said.

"Jeff! Don't do it!" someone called at the brunette. The group noticed two of the guardians, Zakuro Shiraki-Shinori and Sora Shinori.

"So... Sh-should we d-do something?" Niki nervously asked the others. "Obviously yes," Sabi replied. Star ran to the two people and bit the black-haired man. "Star, what are you doing?!"

Jeff smirked, he was ready. Zakuro rushed on his way, Jeff pulled the trigger.

"ZAKURO!"

A bullet hit her shoulder. Jeff's eyes widen.

Zakuro's body fell to the ground, terribly bleeding.

"Grr... Now!" Ema yelled. "Dino-slash!" They all turned their dinosaurs into battle forms. "Ellen, let's show that guy what happens when you hurt our friends!"

Ellen, Aaron, Stegi, and Ria headed to the guy with a gun, only Star turned against the two people. Sora rushed to Zakuro, trying to stop her bleeding.

"Zakuro, stay with me... Please! Zakuro..."

* * *

 **The hospital**

"He should be okay," Wendy assured Bel when she finished treating Cruz. He was still out, lying. Bel was holding his hand. "I hope..." River licked his face to wake him up.

"Ugh...? What..." Cruz slowly opened his eyes and sat up. "Cruz..." "That puta... Are you two alright?" he asked them. "Yes, we are," Wendy replied. "Cruz... I'm so sorry I didn't obey you. If I did, you'd be okay," Bel apologized. "It's fine," Cruz said, smiled at Bel, and pulled her closer, "I'm glad you aren't hurt." "Cruz...?"

They were looking into each other's eyes, it felt like forever. They closed their eyes and moved closer, but when they expected other one's lips, something licked them. They stopped and opened their eyes again. River wanted their attention, he was still licking them.

 _"Hey, what are you doing? I want too!"_

Bel and Cruz laughed and blushed. Wendy just smiled.

Someone opened the door, a blond man holding baby Gerard came in. "Matt? D-did something happened to Gerard?" Wendy wondered. "No... I just have an operation," the man answered, "they brought a shot woman. Zakuro Shiraki-Shinori." "Zakuro?!" Their eyes widen. Wendy shook in fear a little.

"I-I'll go with you!" she decided. "Are you sure?" "Yes! I won't let her die like Komatsu!"

"As you wish..." "Cruz, Bel, take care of Gerard." "Si..." Giving the baby to the teens, both Wendy and Matt left the room.

Wendy looked so pale and stressed out. "Wendy, I know you. You shouldn't go. It's not like I don't believe in you. I'm also not really sure if your brother and that girl can take care of Gerard, it isn't easy." "I'm sorry... But I must help her!"

* * *

 **After a while**

Sora was standing in the corridor, walking back and forth, his clothes covered by Zakuro's blood, his arms crossed.

"Please... Please... Be alright..." he whispered.

He was so worried. After what fate met Zakuro's father and Komatsu when they were shot, he couldn't be calm.

When trembling, worried Wendy came to him with tears streaming down her face, he thought the worst happened.

"No... No!"

"Chill out... She's still alive," Wendy told him before collapsing into his arms. "Wendy! Wendy, what's wrong?" Sora asked, his voice shaking. "Lo Siento... I'm... I'm tired... I couldn't... I couldn't help her... I still have Komatsu dying right in front of me... I can't..." Wendy sobbed.

"Shh... Don't worry... As long as Zakuro's alive it's alright..." Sora quietly said, patting Wendy's back. "Matt is with her... She'll be fine..."

"Just don't cry..."

Nicolas and the rest just got there, seeing Sora and Wendy. "Well, I hope she's..." Niki said, her voice trembling, "but, well, since they are so emotional..." "Huh?" Sora noticed the group, smiling at them. "Guys, thanks for your help." "You're welcome," Sabi replied. "We would do more if we could," Ema admitted. "Yeah, where is a healer when you need them?" Andy wondered. "You're right," Nicolas agreed, "I haven't seen the pink-hair in a few days. But the others are gone too." Well, w-we can talk about this later," Niki suggested, "what matters now is Zakuro."

"Chicos?" Bandaged Cruz and Bel couldn't miss that meeting. "What happened to you?" Sabi asked Cruz. "N-nothing important..." he lied, "that's what I wanted to ask you. What happened to Zakuro?" "She was shot by Jeff," Sora explained.

"Jeff?!" Wendy wondered

"I knew I saw that guy somewhere," Andy said. "Well, he used to be Wendy's boyfriend, right?" Niki joined. Wendy nodded. " _That_ guy?!" Sabi snapped. "He isn't-" "I don't care what excuses you have for him! Nothing can excuse that accident! He hit my sister, Dark, and Max by a car!" she yelled. "Sabi... C-calm down..." Andy wanted to tell her something but was too scared.

"I know he did that, but I don't think he would ever purposely turned a gun against Zakuro again," Wendy said. "She was protecting two people..." "I see, Sora, if it hurts you to talk about it-" "I'm okay."

"By the way, Star attacked those people," Nicolas reminded. "But I don't know why," Sabi admitted, "she never did anything like that before." "Only if..." Cruz mumbled, looking at Bel and then at Wendy, "let me guess... Black-haired man and woman, right?" "How do you know?" Ema wondered. "We met them a while before you did," Bel replied. "I wonder what Zakuro will say when she'll find out she saved not really innocent people," Cruz said. "What the... What do you mean by that?" Andy asked him. "They beat me up before and... They are my and Damita's... my and Dark's 'parents'..."

"Seriously?!"

"If I knew that I'd let Star eat them alive," Sabi said, a shadow fell in her eyes. Andy trembled in fear a little.

"Jeff must have seen us. As a thief, he's sneaky enough. But the only reason I can think of why would he want to kill them is that... He cares..." Wendy said sadly. "No wonder, you were together for 15 years," Sora chuckled, "and you have Gerard with him. Have he even seen him?" "No," Wendy replied, "and he won't because no matter how hard he'll try they must arrest him this time."

"And they will," Matt, walking to the group, said, "he was brought here a while ago. Someone stabbed him several times." "I-is he okay?! And what about Zakuro?!" Wendy immediately asked him. "They both are," Matt assured her. The group smiled in a relief.

"You can go see her," Matt told Sora. The dark-haired man nodded and headed to the room Matt told him next.

"I'll check up on Jeff," Wendy decided. "You sure?" Cruz wondered. Wendy answered only with a nod.

* * *

 **Zakuro's room**

Sora ran to the bed his wife was lying in. "Zakuro, how do you feel?"

"Better... Sora?"

"Yeah?"

"I remember this... I remember seeing my dad dying like this... I'm afraid... That it will be the same... That's why... I wanna see Dengyo."

"You know you can't, he's still in the future."

"But... The others said they'll try to contact them..."

"You should stay here!"

"It wouldn't matter if I'd stay here... Or go somewhere..."

"Zakuro..."

* * *

 **Jeff's room**

The criminal was sitting on the bed staring out of the window. Wendy opened the door and entered. "Jeff?" He turned to her, his eyes widen.

"What do you want here?" he snapped. "...I..." "I shot your best friend, if you don't wanna slap me again, then I don't have a clue."

"...But you wanted to kill _them_... Did-" "Your father stabbed me?" Jeff finished instead of her, "yeah... The police got them both and they'll get me too once I'll recover." "But that means..." "A jail for me for several years, yeah. Wen? Can I at least..." Jeff couldn't finish that sentence.

"What? What's wrong?" Wendy wondered.

"Can I see my son?"

"Huh? ...Sure." Wendy smiled at him and headed out of the room.

Coming back after a while, Wendy carried baby Gerard.

"He has-" "Your eyes."

Jeff walked to them and smiled. "Hi, there, son." Gerard was watching the criminal in a confusion.

* * *

 **Corridor, after a while**

They all grouped again. Assuring the others that Zakuro and Jeff are alright and the Makutos were arrested.

"But I'm still worried about Zakuro," Sora admitted, "she thinks she'll end up the same as her father." "It is the exact same scenario," Wendy said, "and they didn't figure out what kind of illness he had, so, it is possible that she can have it too." With a fear in her words, she lowered her head.

"She wants to see Den in a case..." Sora didn't want to say that, but those words split out of his mouth not even knowing it, like somebody else said it, resonating in his head. "She won't make it..."

"Great~ But we had enough of pessimism for today," Andy murmured. "I... I don't care if I can't..." somebody said. Zakuro with her shoulder bandaged was barely standing there. "Zakuro..." "I wanna see Den and tell him I'm hurt. I don't care if he's in the future!"

"He's where?!" Andy didn't believe.

"I guess that's where sis and the rest are," Nicolas said. "Well, the guardians are in the D-lab, trying to contact them," Niki told the rest. "You two knew about this?" Sabi wondered. "Yeah... I think this needs an explanation," Ema said.

* * *

 **D-lab**

Like Niki said the rest of the Guardians were trying to contact the group.

"Are you sure it will work?" Lucy asked Dr. Taylor and Dr. Owen, doing something on the computer. "No. Not at all," Dr. Taylor replied. "But Reese was able to call the time-machine somehow," Dr. Owen said. "So, we can do anything without her..." Aki sighed.

The door opened and the group entered. "I can't believe you let them travel in time and didn't tell us!" Nicolas snapped. "Oh no..." "And you wonder, look how you react," Lucy told him.

"I guess it doesn't work yet," Cruz said. "You're right. Did something happened?" Dr. Taylor asked him.

The groups explained the situations to each other, making the other side worried.

"I get it, but really again," Andy said. "Well, let's hope they're alright." "I'm not an expert, but maybe I can try it," Sabi said, heading to the computer. "If they just stayed here-" "And let Reese in a place she doesn't even know?" Ema interrupted Nicolas, "we aren't as heartless as you are." "Thank you, I take it as a compliment. Ouch!" Lucy hit her son into the head, giving him her strict glare. "Hey!"

"That you hate them doesn't mean you shouldn't care," Ema growled. "So what?! If that chick wasn't that dumb to get missing-" Nicolas got another hit to his head, this time by the least expected person, Niki.

"Well, just shut up! Nick, we're supposed to be friends! Stop acting like that!" she yelled. "Oh, really? Friends? You can't be that dumb."

"I'll ask you again," Ema whispered to Niki, "why this ignorant?"

"Zakuro should be fine, but... What if she's right...?" Sora fearfully said. "Then... I'll at least... say goodbye to Dengyo..." Zakuro's broken voice said, she, leaning on Jeff, came to them. She fell into Sora's arms. "Wh-what are you doing here?!" "I want to see my son! I don't want him to come back and find out I passed away..."

"That is understandable," Lucy and Aki admitted. "And you had to go with him?!" Sora wondered, "he shot you! He shot your father!" "And he hit my sister, Dark, and Max by a car!" Sabi joined. "He what?!" "I see..." Jeff murmured realizing who that boy was, "I'm sorry, I didn't even know. Yeah, I was drunk and driving, that really was my mistake. But shooting Zakuro and Shiraki? I'm ex-guardian, do you think I would purposely try to kill an owner or guardian? Zepar had control over me in Shiraki's case and he got in my way. With Zakuro, she did the same. I wanted to hit the Makutos."

"Makutos? Are you saying that I saved..." came out of Zakuro's mouth. "The worst human beings in this town? Si," Cruz answered. "D-damn it..."

Entering the lab, Wendy yelled: "Zakuro Shiraki-Shinori! Jeff Miharu!" _"Miharu?"_ Ema wondered, her eyes widen, hearing the last name of her best friend, _"no... it's just a coincidence."_

"I guess she'll kill me first," Zakuro quietly commented. Wendy grabbed Jeff's and Zakuro's arms, making her shoulder hurt. "What were you two thinking?" Wendy asked them.

"I just helped Zakuro, it's not like I wanna run away," Jeff snapped. "Don't snap at me! Anyway, about your 'dying', Zakuro, you'll live longer than you thought. I double checked and your father didn't die from an illness, it was the bullet," Wendy started. "So, I really killed him," Jeff said. "That is debatable. That bullet was actually soaked in something."

"Like a poison?" Andy wondered.

"Not really, but it was poisonous for him. He was apparently allergic to the liquid the bullet was soaked in, but they realized it too late. He only told you he's ill, but there is no illness you can have and die from," Wendy explained, "and despite reminding me of it, I doubt you'll end up like Komatsu did."

"I guess I overreacted a little," Zakuro chuckled. "A little?!" the others wondered. "Okay, okay, a lot..."

"Alright, I got to... Something... But I need a password," Sabi told everyone. "Why does she have a password for something like that?" Ema wondered. "Does any of you have a guess can her password be?" Sabi asked. "I maybe have an idea," Dr. Taylor said and went to the computer. "Or not..." He sighed after he entered his guess. "Do you think she'll have the same password on everything?" Aki asked him. "I doubt that," Dr. Owen replied, "I think she tries to protect every piece information from Zepar or anyone else." "Maybe..." A smile appeared on Spike's face. "Haha! Yes! Huh...?" The guardians of wind and sound looked at the monitor too. The screen said: "Congrats, you have the password right. Now, let me ask you some questions."

While the three guardians were answering Reese's 'quiz', Jeff came up with a question.

"Are you sure Zepar is really gone?"

"Well, we attacked her with all we had," Niki said, "every single crystal." "Yeah, she was hit by 17 different attacks," Bel added.

That made Cruz realize it: "Not every crystal. One dinosaur didn't attack." "Do you mean Jessica?" Sabi asked him. "Si, but it requires all the crystals. Dark's and Kenji's crystals only balance the power of the rest, 14 of the crystals must hit Zepar in order to destroy her."

"Tch. Kyra's weak dino that can't stand one hit can't be missing during the most powerful move," Nicolas said. "Yes, it can," Jeff corrected Nicolas' mistake, "Zepar's a goddess with an infinite power. Only a similar power can defeat her." "And that means everyone... Even Kyra," Wendy said.

"What do you mean by that? Is Zepar still alive and caused Reese's disappearance?" Lucy asked Jeff. "Has that chick ever been in any contact by herself with 'the queen of darkness'?" he wondered. All the guardians were quiet.

"I guess I know what you're pointing to," Cruz said, "the only ones who can open the time warp are Alice Komatsu using her crystal with the seven stone plates, Ronwe Grey, and her sister Zepar."

"Sister?" the guardians wondered.

"Si, but that's a long story. I guess that what Jeff means is that if Zepar is still alive, maybe she was the one who's behind Reese's disappearance. It would make sense. Zepar wants her revenge on every person that was present while she was defeated two years ago. Alpha gang, a group Kami, I mean Laura is part of. They used to be D-team's enemies and later became their allies, playing a big role in defeating Zepar. I bet she wanted all of them at one place to attack."

"She just lored cousin and the others into a trap," Ema realized. "The stars told me that something bad will happen, but I didn't expect Zepar coming back," Sabi said. Everyone turned to her. "What? Can't I have a hobby?" she wondered, "I love astrology and making horoscopes."

"Anyway, something still doesn't add up," Bel spoke up, "I still don't get how was Zepar able to come back the first time. According to what everyone who's been there says she was supposed to be destroyed when the stone plates and the cosmos stones neutralized each other, but she survived and the stone plates and the black cosmos stone still exist." "What the...?" Andy and Nicolas just stared at her. "Cruz informed you pretty well," Lucy admitted. "We all know Zepar got all her power back thanks to the last crystal and its creator," Cruz replied, "and about the rest... Dengyo told me that he heard Reese say that something could recreate them, very likely Zepar's younger sister, Ronwe Grey, also known as the white Pterosaur. I remember how Kami talked about her and Ronwe doesn't seem like a person that would let her sister just died. Maybe Ronwe was able to keep her power, recreating the stone plates and the black cosmos stone to keep her sister alive at least as a human, but didn't expect the creation of the last crystal."

"You seem to have thought about that a lot," Sora chuckled.

"Well, if Zepar's back we should warm the others," Niki said, "right?" "But we can't," Dr. Taylor told her. The screen said: "I'm sorry, Dr. Taylor, but the folder you're trying to open contains information that isn't related to our research, I can not let you access."

"If that dumb blond didn't hide everything-Ah!" Before Nicolas could finish his thought, Star and Aaron bit his legs and Ria growled at him.

"Perfect," Andy sarcastically cheered, "what should we do now?" "I'm heading to the lake, Ronwe should be strong enough to take me to the future," Cruz said, seeing that others have objections, he continued, "you stay here. Zepar wants you dead." He and River turned and headed out, but Bel ran to him, taking his hand. "Um, Bel...?" "Do you think I'll let you go alone?" she asked him. "I'm not alone, River's with me." "But still-You're hurt. P-promise me nothing will happen to you."

"I promise," he said, looking into her eyes. They came closer, closing their eyes, kissing each other.

Once they got separated, everyone speechlessly stared. "You're adorable," Cruz laughed, making Bel blush.

He left. "Be careful, Cruz..."

"So, they finally got together!" Niki cheered, smiling. "We're going too, right?" Andy asked the rest. "Of course," Ema replied. "You can count on us as well," Dr. Owen said. "Right," Aki agreed. "No way," Dr. Taylor objected, "it's dangerous, you'll stay here." "I'm strong enough to help!" She gave him a determined glare, making his faith in her grow.

"You can forget about me going!" Nicolas snapped. "But we need to be all," Sabi reminded him. "So what?!" "Grab him," Lucy said. Ema, Andy, Niki, and Sabi obeyed, taking Nicolas, not allowing him to move.

"It will be just a harmless trip to the future," Andy said.


	7. I can't forgive

**Future, hospital**

Zoe, Paris, Sue, and Annie were standing in the corridor, waiting for Reese. When she came out, Zoe immediately asked: "Is everything okay?" "Yes. Don't worry." "I still can't believe that you're going to be a mother," Sue admitted. "Me neither..." Reese smiled at her, putting her hand on her belly. "But I'm glad and thankful for that."

"Reese!" Zander ran to them. "I'm... Sorry... I'd come sooner, but Dr. Z didn't let me," he apologized. "It's okay." Reese was so happy to see him, she wanted to hug him, but Zoe stepped in front of her. "You stay away from her!" she snapped at him. "Zoe, I told you it's alright! He won't hurt me," Reese assured Zoe, "he would never hurt me. Don't fight, at least for me." "But still." Sue joined her best friend. "I don't care if you're her boyfriend, you better treat her like a queen," Sue said. "Or else Paris and I will tear you apart!" Zoe threaten. "I'll treat her like my angel," Zander said, "I'll do anything to make her happy." Reese chuckled. "So, everything okay? No fights?" she asked them. "Yeah." "Great, thank you."

She hugged her boyfriend. He hugged her back, leaning to her, wanting to kiss her, but her hands stopped him. "I hoped I wouldn't have to say that, but let's add one rule to our relationship. No, and I seriously mean no kissing in front of my little sister," Reese warned Zander and whispered to him, "we can leave everything to later." Making him blush.

"I'm starting to be hell jealous," Sue murmured, turning to her best friend, her cheeks coloring red.

"Um, can you two stop hiding behind that corner?" Zander wondered. A yeek sounded behind him, Ursula and Ed came out of the corner. "How did you know that?!" Ursula snapped at Zander. "We know you're watching us since the beginning," he replied. "But why would the old lady stalk you?" Zoe wondered, Sue laughed. Ursula, on the other hand, had a different opinion. "YOU LITTLE BRAT! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT I'M NOT OLD!" "What did I tell you about calling my sister a brat?" Reese asked her, giving her a death glare, scaring everyone around. Sue really liked how Zoe triggered the green-haired woman and tried it as well: "The hell oldest stalker I've seen." "YOU-" Ed desperately tried to hold his sister back, but it was so hard.

"Just stop fighting already," Reese monotonically said. "I would if these two just shut up," Ursula growled. "Hold the hell on! You attacked us for no reason!" Sue yelled at her. "B-but that's right, Ursula, you've been acting weird late-" "Who asked you?!" Ursula shouted at Ed.

While the rest was fighting, Zander noticed a blond woman and her black-haired brother wearing glasses passing by. "Ellie?" The blonde turned to him, smiling a little. "Hi, Zander..." Looking at his ex-girlfriend he realized she... Grew bigger since he last saw her four months ago. Could she be... in the same situation as Reese? If yes, that would mean he's-

"Komatsu!" someone yelled, catching everyone's attention. "S-sorry... I must go," the brother apologized, "you'll be okay, sis?" "Yeah, go, Jeremy." He left. The others stared at the woman. "E-Ellie, I-" "You don't have to be bothered by this," she wanted to assure him, smiling more, putting her hand on her belly, "I can handle this." "But is-" "Yes," Ellie simply replied, her eyes falling on Reese, "let me guess, Reese Drake. He talked about you all the time, congratulations." "Thank you. To you too I guess."

"Is it really that seen?" Sue wondered, turning to Reese, "how long are you in that? Six weeks?" The scientist rolled her eyes. "I mean, you still look great. I wouldn't say-Nevermind."

"I should go, bye," Ellie said, walking away, waving.

"Who was she?" Zoe wondered. "Uh..." Despite not feeling it's a good idea, Zander explained everything he knew to them, that he and Ellie used to date, but she left him four months ago. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, angel." "It's okay." Reese took his hands.

"I understand it must have been hard. And now finding out that she's-"

"I'm so sorry."

"You didn't know that, it's not your fault."

"Actually," Sue opened her mouth. "You be quiet now!" Reese glared at her, shutting Sue's mouth up.

"I know you wouldn't leave her alone if you knew that. I'm not mad at you."

"It is hell understandable he didn't tell you," Sue said, "talking about your ex is the worst thing you can do. _This_ should be in the 'Girls' rules'." _"Yeah, why didn't it come to me when I made them up?"_ Reese thought, _"I guess I was too busy drinking..."_

"Um, girl, you okay?" Sue wondered. Zoe was looking at the floor, thinking about the current situation. "Sis?" she finally spoke up, "how is it gonna be?"

"What do you mean?"

"You can't stay here forever. Your home is the present."

"Sorry, Zoe, but I refuse to talk about that."

"But mom and dad would-" "Not now!"

Meanwhile one of the Alpha scanners started to beep. "Huh?" Ed looked at it, Dr. Z's face appeared. "Where are you three numb-skulls?!" he asked, "I need you to come back. A Carcharadontosaurus appeared!" "What?!" "W-we're on our way!" The Alpha scanner turned off.

"How the hell?!"

"Great, another dino... But we'll get it before you brats!" Ursula laughed, grabbing Zander and Ed and running away. Reese stretched her arm to her boyfriend, but they were already gone.

Not longer after Zoe's cell phone started to ring, getting the same information.

* * *

 **Graveyard**

Rex was staring at two tombstones in front of him, his fists trembling, tears running down his face. Ace quietly hissed.

"I'm so sorry... If I... If I was faster... If I'd do something... I could have saved you..." He stopped his monolog when he felt someone taking his hand. "Rex?" He quickly turned. It was Alice.

"Rex, please, don't blame yourself."

"How did you-" "I just knew you'd come here," she interrupted him. "You know you shouldn't use your crystal that often," Rex warned her, "I bet that headache is from that." "I didn't need my crystal, Rex. I just know you. I knew you'll once go here since you told they died. I know this hurts," Alice said, her voice completely broken, she felt like she's going to cry, but had to stay strong for Rex, "and even though I didn't know them, I'm sure they wouldn't want you to cry." "I..." Rex sobbed. "You wished to know who they are for so long, but it was taken away from you. Please, look at me. I said look at me, Rex." He obeyed her, tears still falling down. "You're eyes are beautiful-I-I mean... Rex... I-"

Alice was interrupted by a rock tune playing on her phone. "Huh?" When she picked it up, a girly voice sounded: "Sister! Sister! We have got a problem! A dinosaur appeared."

"What?!"

* * *

 **Alpha gang base**

While everyone was on their way, Max and Dr. Z were fighting the Carcharodontosaurus.

"This does not make sense, this does not have any sense," Justin was repeating. "Ivi, C'mon! You aren't helping by this," Kyra told him.

Chomp rammed into the Carcharodontosaurus, throwing her into the air. Terry slammed her by his tail away. She had enough power to continue. She clashed head with Terry, then bitting his tail she threw him at Chomp. "No..."

"Help's here!" Alice and Rex ran to the battle, summoning their dinosaurs. Ace headed to help Chomp, but Tashi couldn't. When she appeared, Dr. Z immediately recognized her. "Whaa! That's my Pachycephalosaurus!" He rushed to her and climbed at her back, laughing. Tashi started to act weird, she was wilder than usual, she writhed and raved.

"Tashi! What's wrong?!" Alice wondered. "She's still mad at Dr. Z for what he did to her," Rex said, "unsurprisingly." Alice noticed how much anger Rex has inside of him as well. "Gr, Tashi! We don't have time for this," she told her partner, Tashi just hissed at her and shook off Dr. Z. "Hey, how dare you to act like this to your father, my boy?! If you won't stop I'll make you pay!" Dr. Z shouted at Tashi.

"First of all Tashi's a girl," Alice commented. "Like I said, you haven't changed at all!" Rex growled, "you still abuse your own dinosaur!" "Objection, she's mine," Alice murmured. Tashi roared in anger and ran against Dr. Z.

"Gr, Terry!"

The Tyrannosaurus grabbed Tashi's tail and slammed her at the ground. "TASHI!" Alice cried as her dino roared in agony. That was enough. "Ace, we need help!" The Carnotaurus rushed back, keeping Terry away from Tashi.

"B-but we shouldn't fight each other," Kyra objected, "Feray is stronger than before, we must work together." "Kyra's right," Alice said, "stop this already, at least for now." "Sorry, Alice, but we can't," Rex told her. "Can't?! Oh, come on! I know you're mad at him, but this doesn't help."

In another moment, Ursula still dragging Zander and Ed behind her ran to join the battle. "Dr. Z, we're ready to fight," she said. "Great," Dr. Z growled as he threw her the Alpha scanner he summoned Terry with, "and don't fail me again!"

She just smirked, letting everyone know she doesn't plan it this time. She swiped the move card, setting Tashi on fire.

"Stop!" Alice yelled. Tashi fell to the ground. "Tashi..."

"What are you two doing?! C'mon! Use Spiny and Tank!" Ursula yelled at the men, they, scared of her, obeyed. The Spinosaurus and Saichania attacked Ace.

Seeing the battlefield from the distance, Zoe, Reese, and Sue got to the battle as well. "Please, don't let this be true," Reese wished when she saw her boyfriend on Alpha gang's side fighting her friends. "I knew we can't trust him," Sue chuckled in her victory.

Zoe didn't hesitate and changed Paris to her full size. "Zoe, wait-" "I don't care if he's your boyfriend, Reese! I'm going to help my friends no matter what! Sue, don't send Annie to the battle yet, we can handle it."

"Okay."

Meanwhile, Max and Chomp were left to fight the Carcharodontosaurus, but she was too strong. Even after Chomp hit her with a move several times, she was still standing. She lifted him into the air and slammed him to the others.

"Just stop," Reese said, "if you'll keep this going, no one will get the card." Nobody listened to her. Not long after that, Tashi turned into a card.

"Girl, Reese is maybe right," Sue realized. "Huh?" "Feray's too strong, so when Paris and the rest will get tried, she'll attack the city and we won't be powerful enough to fight her!"

"You must work together!" Reese raised her voice, everyone heard her. The answer was obvious: "No way!" That would be the only thing they'd agree on. "But you have to! Carcharodontosaurus' power is bigger than of any normal dinosaur. This requires a fusion move from all of you, just like against the dark Pterosaur."

"There is no way we'll do that!" Ursula snapped. "Working together with someone who doesn't care?" Rex wondered, "I won't do that again." "Why would we do that?" Zoe asked her sister.

"Zander, Zoe, please, at least for me."

"Reese..."

They both felt so bad hearing her voice being so desperate.

"Rex, I know it's hard, but we can't let Feray escape," Alice said. "But-" "Stop this. You saw what happened to Tashi for being headstrong and revengeful." "Yeah..."

"Working together is the only thing we can do!" Max said. "M-maybe they're right," Ed nervously suggested. "No way!" Ursula shouted at him. "O-okay..."

"Please!" Reese screamed, begging them.

"...Angel..." Zander's hands shook, hearing his girlfriend, his angel, screaming, almost crying was a nightmare. He couldn't continue, couldn't let Spiny fight. "We'll do it," he said. "What?!" "We'll work together!" he bravely repeated. "Are you crazy?!" his sister wondered. "Ursula, it's the only way! I don't care if you hate them or the whole world!" "Gr..."

"He cares," Sue whispered to Zoe, "he really cares about her... I know this feeling." "...Are you saying that we should attack... together?" Zoe asked her. "Do you have a better idea? Reese wants you to go along _and_ save the city."

The six dinosaurs in the battle roared at their owners, wanting to work together, stopping their fight.

"Alright, but just for once."

"Fine! Ready, guys?" Max asked the others. "Together!"

The D-team and the Alpha gang all swiped their move cards. A light of their respective colors shined around Chomp, Terry, Ace, Paris, Spiny, and Tank. Six different attacks hit the Carcharodontosaurus. She roared in agony but was still standing.

"What the?!"

"This shouldn't be possible!"

"You see how strong she is?" Reese wondered, "there's no way you would defeat her by yourself."

They attacked again, this time successfully. Feray turned into a card, falling to the ground. A strange black smoke came out of it and slowly vanished. Max picked it up.

* * *

"Dinosaurs were appearing since you two came back?" Kenji asked Rod and Laura when they all gathered again. "Yeah." "But how?" Cole wondered, "all the cards are supposed to be in the present, right?" "Excluding our dinosaurs, yes," Dengyo confirmed, "but... Does anyone of you remember that room in Akuno we left through?" "The one where Futaba was?" Zoe questioned. "Exactly. Dark and the Danish said that there were dinosaur cards and move cards, but when we came to that room there was only one dinosaur, no cards," Dengyo continued. "W-we simply could have missed them, we were distracted by what happened that we didn't even realize that there were supposed to be cards," Kyra said. "Right," Sue agreed, "one of us was almost hell killed. Most of us were out." She looked at Reese and then at Zoe.

"Mary kept the **Fire canon** move card, but didn't have her own dinosaur when she died," Dengyo recapitulated, "all of the cards were gone when we came, with only Dark and Bel seeing the actual cards."

"What are you trying to say?" Max asked him, "that Dark and Bel stole the cards." "N-no... We... We would never do that... I... would never... lie to you... Lying isn't right..." Dark whispered. "C-C'mon, bro! D-do-don't b-bla-blame my g-girl!" Kenji stuttered. "What...?" "Cruz and Sabi wouldn't be happy if they'd hear that," Sue laughed. "Kenji... I'm not... what you said..." Dark corrected him. Kenji just blushed.

"I didn't want to say that. I have a suspicion that there is one last person that is part of the Akuno."

Dengyo's information took everyone's breath away. "Someone else as a part of the Akuno?"

"Dengyo has a point," Laura said, "there is maybe... Someone. In Akuno it was me, Rod, Drack, Mary Cruz, Dark, Dengyo, Rex, and Jeff Miharu." "Did you just say Miharu?!" Sue wondered. "Why?" "I... Nothing. I guess it is just a coincidence." "It can't be Micheal's family," Max said. "But maybe a distant relative," Rex theorized.

"Jeff... Miharu," Kyra slowly repeated that name, "he was... Wendy's boyfriend." "Wait a sec, you mean the guy that hit Kid with a car?" Cole wondered. "I... Guess so. That makes him Gerard's father and..." Kyra was lowering her voice down. "And he was the one who shot Haru Shiraki," Alice remembered. "He used to be a guardian," Reese said, "he gave up on that post several years ago. The reason why he joined Akuno was actually the same as Dengyo's later Cruz's, to spy on them." "It sounds like a very big possibility for him to still be with them," Justin admitted. "And I told Zak to try to forgive him," Laura murmured, looking down. "He can still have Zepar's powers, for example, Laura can still change her age," Rod said, "he was able to hide in the shadows." "That would make sense. He must have gone with you two as your shadow, leaving cards here and go back," Justin summarised, "but why?"

"Why that matters?!" Dr. Z snapped, "we must get my cards! Now!" Hearing those words, Rex's eyes moved down in anger. "But the dinosaurs are more powerful than ours," Ed reminded them, "we almost didn't win despite working together." "Because teamwork is for nothing," Ursula growled. "Really? It didn't look like any of you would beat that Carcharodontosaurus alone," Reese objected, "teamwork is worthless only if someone doesn't want to. Going into things by yourself is the worst decision, look what it caused to me, horrible scars and facing death. Now, when it's too late, I'm realizing I was never meant to fight on my own." Looking completely calm talking about that topic, she crossed her arms.

The three owners were totally silent, having horrifying flashbacks of their last encounter with the dark Pterosaur, Zepar.

"Oh, stop sobbing!" Dr. Z yelled at Reese. "Never talk to my sister like that!" Zoe burst up. "Dr. Z, I swear if you'll ever talk to my girlfriend like that," Zander shouted, making Reese blush in embarrassment. "Your what?!" the rest untouched by the news wondered.

"Grr... Anyway, you are too weak. You'll need a new armor to fight," Dr. Z said. "An armor?" Sue didn't know. " _That_ armor?" Cole realized. "Woah! Is it that overpowered thingy the main hero gets?" fanboyish Kenji asked. "Dino-tector," Justin remembered, "the strongest dinosaur weapon so far. I would like to see that and analyze its power." "Haha, your dinosaur will even try it, brat," Dr. Z laughed.

"You really want to help us?" Max wondered. "No, I just want you to get my cards back," Dr. Z corrected him. "Shut up about that already!" Rex angerly shouted. Everyone surprisedly looked at him. "Rex..."

"They aren't yours! You saw how 'your' dinosaur reacted to you!"

"Cut it out, Rex!" Alice snapped at him, grabbing his arm. Rex turned to her, eyes widen. "I know it's hard to get along, especially for you and Tashi, but we don't have another choice."

Rex left with no words. Alice gently stretched her arm to him and put on her hoodie again.

"Welp, I guess we should get outta here as soon as we can or else dude will kill someone," Cole laughed. "I bet we'll stay for the hell long time because of Little Genius since she's pr-" Zoe quickly covered Sue's mouth before she could say something. She may be partly didn't want it to be true, but she knew it would be best if Reese tells them herself.

"Be careful of what you say or I won't help you!" Dr. Z hatefully threated. Laura just chuckled.

"To activated the dino-tector we need a new device," Reese said. "You know, we wouldn't have to if someone didn't destroy the communicators." Kenji glared at Justin. "I had to! There was a bloodlust program in them!"

"Anyway, I'll make something, Justin, Alice, will you help me?" Reese asked them. "Sure." "W-why me?" "You know that she won't do anything 'cause she's selfish," Sue commented. "Hey! You're messing up the terms, Nicolas is selfish. For me? That's just pure laziness," Alice corrected her. "I am sure, sister, that you are supposed to make a design for the device," Justin told her. "Okay, okay... Geez, I should really rest after that."

"My angel, wait," Zander said, sliding to Reese, taking her hand, "I don't think you should work on anything now." "I'll be fine. It's nothing complicated," she tried to assure him, "I told you that if anything happens I'll tell you and stop doing anything dangerous for me-us..." "Huh? Ree? Did you just say 'us'?" Kyra wondered. Reese smiled and nodded.

"Huh?"

"I think I should tell you guys something. I... And promise me you won't freak out. I'm pregnant..."

At that moment, her friends did what she begged them not to.

"WHAAA?!"

Kyra stared at her for a while, it took her much longer to realize it. "WHAA?! That's amazing, Ree!" she cheered, running to her crush, wrapping arms around her neck. "K-Kyra, no." "I'm so so so happy for you! Miracles actually happen when you just believe. I thought your injuries can't heal!"

"Maybe miracles can be done by hope and love," Reese admitted, looking at Zander, pushing Kyra away.

"I honestly dunno what to say," Cole said, "I'm tryin' to think of somethin', but nope." "I agree," Max joined, "I mean it's great."

 _"But it means she will stay here,"_ Justin thought. He realized and was bothered by the same thing as Zoe. It wasn't easy for him to accept it, but he understood.

* * *

 **Downtown, 2 hours later**

Alice, still having the hoodie on, found that dark alley, it didn't really change during those hundred years, even some flowers and candles for her father were there. Laura must have put them there, she was Konatsu's close friend before she forgot.

"Dad..."

Alice swiped Tashi's card across her stone plate, summoning the little Pachycephalosaurus. "Tashi, I know you're angry, but try to understand we can't fight." An answer to her was a hateful growl.

"I can't 100% say what you think, but I guess this wasn't an agreement. Yeah... I hated my father just like you do, but I know he didn't do anything that terrible. Unlike yours, mine was under a spell. I know you don't want to, I didn't want to work together with Nicolas, but I had to! To save my friends... Tashi..."

"It's hard to make them change their minds," Laura, walking to them, said, "they both have right to be mad at my grandpa. I'm trying to convince him to be nicer, but it's difficult." Alice gave her a smile.

Out of nowhere, a completely purple Edmontonia appeared, turning to the girls. "Oh, great..." Tashi stepped in front of that ready to fight. "Wait, I have an idea," Alice said, taking her phone. "This isn't the best time, Alice!" "I know, but maybe we can make Rex, Tashi, and your grandpa work together." Her brother picked it up. "Justin, tell Rex and Dr. Z that a dinosaur appeared." "M-moment, you are there?!" Justin on the other side squeaked when he heard a roar. "Just tell them, I'm sure they'll try to save me and Laura." "You are clever, sister," Justin admitted. "Thank you."

She hanged the phone and changed Tashi into her full form, the sky changed color.

"Tashi, we must wait for a while, okay?" The Pachycephalosaurus nodded.

Trying to keep the Edmontonia away from them, Tashi got tired. The Edmontonia hit Tashi, causing her to fell to the ground. "Tashi, no!"

At the time it all looked hopeless, Ace and Terry attacked the Edmontonia. They both actually came. "Grandpa!" "Rex!"

Tashi saw Dr. Z and tried to get up to attack him. "Tashi, don't! We must work together!" Alice told her, but it didn't help.

"Do you seriously think we'll work together?" Dr. Z wondered. "If that's what you want you can forget about that," Rex said. "Really?!"

Tashi got up and charged at Dr. Z. "Terry, stop him!" The Tyrannosaurus ran into Tashi's way, hitting her with his tail. "Ace! Cover Tashi!" The Carnotaurus bit Terry's tail, but it didn't help.

"Wait, no! Ace, Terry, please, don't listen to them!" Alice tried to convince them.

"Alice, stop. It doesn't matter how many times you say it, we won't listen," Rex told her. "Yeah... I see that! You are the same as Nicolas, caring only about yourself!"

That made Rex speechless, taking his breath away. She thinks he's like Nicolas, the person who hates her and she hates him.

"If you and Tashi aren't able to work together with someone to help me then I don't need you! Is it really that hard to forgive him already?!" Alice had tears in her eyes, face red from anger.

Rex said nothing, like he didn't even listen, making Alice angrier.

"Don't ignore me, Rex!"

He turned away.

"So, you're going to ignore me like everyone else... I thought you're better than that. I understand their death affected you, it doesn't give you right to act like this. This isn't Rex I fell in love with!" With those words Alice blushed, she let him hear it, if he was even listening because nobody's listening.

"They wouldn't want you to be like this."

He closed his eyes, but then-"Eeeh!" He looked back at her. The Edmontonia was staring at Alice, she felt his breath. Rex gasped, his eyes widen in fear.

"Alice!" The Edmontonia turned around, he was about to swing his tail. Laura pushed Alice aside, causing her to fall to the ground. Laura grabbed Edmontonia's tail, being lifted up.

"Laura!"

"Grr... Don't stand there like that and help me save her!" Dr. Z yelled at Rex.

"Huh?" Rex turned to him, he looked so afraid of losing his granddaughter. No wonder, after what she went through. He cares, he isn't that heartless.

"Don't just look and do something! Look, brat, I know you hate me for what I did to you two, but that was a long time ago! Now we must listen to your friend!"

Rex and Tashi looked down. The Edmontonia shook his tail, Laura accidentally lets go of it, being thrown away. She hit the ground, screaming in pain, getting Rex's and Tashi's attention.

"TERRY, ATTACK!"

"Wait," Rex said. "What?!" "You can't win alone." Tashi roared in agreement.

"Then don't stand here!"

Both Rex and Dr. Z took their move card and slashed them. Ace and Terry created a fire tornado, hitting the Edmontonia. He still wanted to fight. The dinos ran to him, Ace bit his leg and Terry his neck. When he couldn't move, Tashi tackled him, turning the Edmontonia into a card.

"It wasn't that hard, was it?" Laura commented, getting up, smiling.

They all changed their dinosaurs into chibi forms. Tashi and Rex rushed to Alice, she chuckled, grabbing her head.

"Are you alright?" Rex asked her. "Yeah... Just a little headache... Ugh... Ouch..."

"You should rest." "No... No, no... It's-ahh!" "Alice!" Rex reached his arm to Alice.

She took it and stood up, still holding her head, feeling the pain.

"Ugh!"

"I'm glad you three finally got over it," Laura said. "Me too..." Alice smiled. Tashi looked down in shame for causing all that trouble. "It's alright, Tashi."

"Listen, brat," Dr. Z snapped at Rex, "I'm sorry for what happened." "...huh...?" "Don't think that I don't care. I was the one who found them. I took care of their funeral!" "...Thank you..."

"Everything is alright now?" Alice wondered. "Yeah... Sorry for not listening to you-" "No, I'm sorry for comparing to my brother. I-ugh! Ah! My head..."

Rex, still holding her hand, tried to comfort her. A strange red light came out of Alice's pocket, it was her stone plate. Alice took it, that light, it must have been her crystal stored inside. The blue gem on the stone plate lit up and a light blue and teal lights flew out of it. Everyone just stared. The lights became a male and female figures.

Rex immediately recognized them, tears ran down his face.

"D-did I do that?!" Alice surprisedly asked, "wait, what did I do?"

"I never thought I'd see you again..." Rex sobbed. Alice noticed the tears, realizing what is going on, who they are.

"Are you-" They nodded. Why did she even try to ask? It was obvious.

"I'm sorry I let you die," Rex cried, Alice felt his hand shaking. They came to their son, putting their hands on his shoulders. "We never left you," the woman said, "but I see that there are enough people who take care of you." She turned to Alice, making her blush.

"It wasn't your fault," the man told Rex, "but now you have an important quest. You must stop Akuno from using the dinosaurs." Rex nodded. "Maybe if I didn't join them-" "Then we wouldn't see each other again or worse," Alice interrupted him, "you don't even know what would happen. Everything bad is good for something." She grabbed his hand tighter. "Please, watch over Rex." "Yes, I will," Alice promised, smiling.

The lights disappeared. Rex wiped his tears, feeling the other hand loses a grip. He looked at Alice. She was falling to the ground, unconscious.

"Alice!" He caught her before she hit the ground. "I guess it took too much of her power."

Almost totally ignoring what just happened, Dr. Z called Tashi to him. She actually came to his arms. "Come here, my boy!" "It's a girl," Rex and Laura told him.

Dr. Z hugged Tashi, she hit his chin several times with her strong head.


	8. I don't want to see you

"M-moment! Sister! Sister! What happened?!" Justin squeaked, seeing Rex giving unconscious Alice a piggyback ride. "Shhh!" "Do you want Kyra to know?" Rex wondered. "She would pretty much freak out," Max said. "Anyway, what happened?" Zoe asked, glaring at Max. "I'm not quite sure," Rex replied, "after a battle, Alice's stone plate started to glow and then... I don't know if they were illusions or ghosts, but I saw them. I saw my parents." "What...?"

"It appears Alice's crystal can bring back something like a memory," Reese said, "somehow." "Not only she can predict the hell future, she can also bring people to life?" Sue commented. "Dead people can't be brought back!" Justin objected. "Okay, chill out... By the way, she's drooling on your shoulder, blonde." Rex looked at Alice, her head was lying on his now wet shoulder. He chuckled a little.

Justin opened his laptop, finding something. "It doesn't seem like any of us will go back home in the near future." "Reese is right. Sister's crystal energy is too low." Justin showed everyone the statuses of their crystal's. There was Alice's face with an energy bar with a low power next to her. "She is in a critical state. She can not control her powers well," Justin explained. "Is that why she burst out like that before?" Max wondered. "It is very likely."

"Rex, we should find a place for Alice to rest," Zoe suggested. "No, it's okay, I can hold her for a little longer." "You're enjoying it, aren't you, blonde?" Sue laughed, making Rex's face totally red. "Kyra is in the room given to the girls, it would be better to take her into our room," Justin said.

Taking Alice to the place, Rex laid her on the bed. She murmured something. "She shouldn't use her crystal that often now," Max said. "For her own good."

"I hope she'll be fine." Rex sighed, watching her. "I'm sure she'll feel better in no time," Zoe assured her friend. He smiled at her.

Alice started to wake up. Staring into Rex's beautiful blue eyes, she blushed, turning on her daydream self. "Am I dreaming again?" she asked with a dreamy voice. "Actually no," Max broke her fantasy. "Huh?!" Alice quickly sat up, clashing her forehead with Rex's. "Ouch!" They put their hand on their wound. "That hurts..." "Eeek! I-I'm so sorry, Rex!" "It's okay..."

Alice sighed. "...this is awkward..." Zoe and Sue just giggled. "Hey! What's so funny...? Ugh..." "Sister! What is wrong?" "My head... It still hurts..." Alice mumbled. "You both just hit your head pretty hard," Max said. "No... It's not that... I... It hurts for some time... I don't know why..."

"Your energy is in a critical state," Reese told her, "using a big amount of crystal's power in such a short time is very risky, especially when you found out about this power not long ago." "Yeah... I won't use it. I'm our only way home after all, but... I was able to summon ghosts of Rex's parents, maybe I can do the same with dad, Kato or Micheal."

"Sister, no! First, it is dangerous to you and second, it is not possible," Justin objected. "Okay..."

"Alice, thank you for that," Rex said. "Your welcome." Alice smiled at him. "I hope you finally understand that you are not alone." "Yes, I do." "I promised to them to watch over, so..."

"Can you two lovebirds stop?" Sue growled and whispered, "I should really date someone..." Both Alice and Rex blushed, looking at each other.

"Anyway, I wanted to ask you something, Reese," Justin said. "Yes?" "Are you going to stay here?"

"..." The scientist was silent.

"Wait a sec, why would she stay here?" Max wondered. "Laura told me what's going on and it's absolutely understandable for you to stay," Rex admitted. "No, it's not!" Zoe objected. "I said I refuse to talk about it with you, sis," Reese told her heading away.

* * *

"We must convince Reese to go home with us," Zoe said, walking through a corridor with Sue. "Are you sure?" Sue asked her, "she seems happy here." "But she belongs to the present!" "Girl, please-" "We are her family, not them."

"But she's in love and-"

"I don't care."

"Are you seriously going to take the thing she wished for away from her? She risked her life for you and you're doing _this_. Girl, we should let her be."

"No way..."

"Girl..."

"Do you... really want to do that... to your sister...?" Dark, coming to them with Ed and Kenji, asked Zoe. "It's for her own good." "Taking her from someone she loves...?"

Zoe didn't want to listen, everything was just wrong. Reese can't just stay here, leaving her friends, her family, leaving her.

"Also it would hurt Zander," Ed said, "being torn apart... from his girlfriend and especially his child, making it think he left it just like his parents left him." Zoe making it even worse for her didn't say anything, thinking only about herself.

"You three... are orphans, right...?"

"Oh, C'mon, Zoe! You can't do that to their kid," Kenji objected, "look, I grew up without my real mother, it was painful. Never see her, not knowing who she was. Rex very likely felt the same." "Girl, Zander maybe was or is a villain, but Reese loves him and you should respect that... It is hard, I know..."

"But..."

"I'll miss her too, she's like a sister to me, but I want her to be happy. Girl, please, try to think about it." "...I can't...sis..."

"I remember..." Dark tried to change a topic, "you three... were adopted by Dr. Z when you were three..." "How can you know that?" Kenji wondered. "Dengyo was spying on the others... back then... Traveling through the time... Hiding on Backlander and then following the D-team... He... was supposed to stop them from keeping the cosmos stone away... A-anyway... That's not important... Well, Akuno knows your backstory too." She turned to Ed. "...You don't have to answer, but what about you? Zander's parents abandoned him... Why were you there?" "Both of my parents died shortly after I was born, so I don't remember them..." Ed explained, "and Ursula... She-"

At that moment, he got kicked by his raging sister. "Keep your mouth shut!"

"Where the hell she gets the energy to do that at her age?!" Sue wondered. "What did you say?!" Ursula glared at her.

"...Is... something wrong?" Dark wondered, "why... you don't want us to know your past...?" "That's not your thing!" Ursula snapped. "...I... I'm not sure if it'll help you, but... My parents tortured me... They even tried to drown me..." Dark covered her right eye. "I got this scar from them..."

"Please, don't cry, Dark!" Kenji hugged her. "Uh...?" "Chill the hell out, Romeo..." Sue commented, "she's not dying..."

"When are you even going back, brats?" Ursula asked rudely, "can't you scram already?" "There are three reasons why we can't. First, there are the cards we help you with, second, our 'time-machine' doesn't have enough power, and third, we can't leave Reese now," Sue said. "Just take her and go! Nobody wants her here anyway!" Ursula growled. "What do you have against my sister?!" Zoe wondered.

"I can ask you the same!"

"Be quiet, old lady!"

"YOU-!"

"I don't get why Reese wants to stay here anyway! She wastes her time with someone so worthless as Zander! She believes in him and you two for no reason! You are the enemy. That means she's a traitor... But... She's my sister. And I don't want her to be influenced by bad people! You endangered her! She couldn't land her plane once because of _you_! How could she forgive you?!"

"Just like you forgave her! She's a liar and manipulator, using you and those she calls friends. That's why I don't want her to stay! Who would want somebody who betrays their own family?!"

"She isn't-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Sue yelled at them, stepping between them, "girl, stop... We just solved one conflict, don't start another one." "But-" "Leave my butt alone... I know that you both care about one of them, you care about your sibling, but... They're in love and separating them is the cruelest thing you can do. I'm in love too, so I know what it's like... Girl..."

"They don't even want her here," Zoe objected, "why would she stay?" "Maybe because she doesn't want to be with you anymore," Ursula grinned.

"Stop!" Sue shouted, "Ursula... Zoe... Please..."

"You two have the same goal," Kenji realized, "why won't cooperate then?" That was a great idea, the only thing they agreed on.

"K-Kenji... No.. That is..." Dark whispered. Both Zoe and Ursula left with their new plan of separating their siblings. "That is bad..." Ed murmured. "Kenji, you idiot!" "G-gome... I'm s-sorry, I-I n-never th-thought they'd..." "That's the hell problem! ...I go after them to keep them away from Reese and you, Kenji, go find a place to hide 'cause I'm seriously gonna kill ya."

* * *

Ready to work on their new invention, Reese and Justin dove into their thoughts. "Hey? Did you start already?" Alice walking to them asked. "Sister! You should rest!" "Calm down, brother, I'm not dying," she tried to assure Justin, "I took a nap and I feel better."

"Alice, you must take this seriously," Reese said, "your life can be in danger." "I'm fine... I won't use my crystal, we all should get home as soon as possible." "It's for your own safety," Justin told his sister. "Rex already mentioned. Anyway, I drew some good designs for the device."

Alice showed them her drawing. "That looks great. Big enough for the stone plates and as a communicator," Reese admitted. "We can also feature a translator like the Dinoholders had," Justin suggested. "That would be a good idea. Justin, you have some older blueprints in your laptop. Can you bring it?" Reese asked him. "Yes," he said as he headed away.

After a few minutes of silence, Alice spoke up: "I understand that you want to stay." Reese curiously looked at her. "You love him. I know what it's like to be separated from someone like that, it took a long time to face the fact that Rex was gone. I'm going to miss you, but if this makes you happy."

"Thank you, Alice."

"I saw a lot with my crystal to understand this. Unlike everyone else."

"Zoe was always stubborn, she just needs some time... She-" "My angel, you said you'll rest," interrupting his girlfriend, Zander entered the room, taking her hands. "Sorry, but you don't have to be worried, I'm not in any critical state and..." she assured him and kissed him, "you know I can't be without my work, especially now when everyone needs me." "We can do it without you if you don't feel good," Alice said, making them realize she's still there, "yeah... I'm still here. I mean, Justin isn't any beginner and others will surely help too."

"...Alright, I think I really should take a nap after today. Thank you for help, Alice. Just keep an eye on Kyra-" "To not let her mess with the device or find you two. Yes!" Alice saluted.

They both left. Alice quietly stared, then her head hurt again. "Ugh!" Seeing flashes of something.

 _Reese was sitting in the guest room, her room, having several black marks on her body. The same black marks she had in the Akuno when Zepar had control over her._

"Ah... Ha... No... That can't be..." Alice was breathing fast, putting in together. "How...? No, my mind is just playing with me... It's just my imagination, this can't be real... I hope it isn't..."

* * *

Sue was determined to do anything to stop her best friend. Finding her all alone heading to Reese's room, Sue grabbed her hand and said: "Please, girl..." "Let me be!" "I know I said I want you to be happy, but-" "Do you think that losing someone I love makes me happy?" Zoe wondered. "And do you think that doing the same to Reese will make her happy?! I beg you, think about it."

"How can she be happy here? With people like that?!"

"Please!" Sue cried, "I know you. You want her to be happy more than anyone else. Girl... If you don't want to listen to me, then talk to Reese, but you won't convince her." "I have to..." Sue couldn't hold herself, she wanted to slap Zoe so badly to open her eyes. She couldn't just watch it. She hugged Zoe.

* * *

 **Reese's room**

"Are you really okay?" Zander asked his girlfriend. "Yes, I am. I'm just a little tired, there were so many things going on today," Reese replied, sitting on her bed, "don't worry." "Do you want me to stay with you?" "No... I need to be alone."

"Are you sure? Is something wrong, my angel?" "Nothing. Believe me, I'm fine. Come here." Reese took Zander's hands, pulling him closer, he leaned to her. She kissed him. "Just go."

He obeyed her, leaving her alone.

Once the door closed, she hid her face in her hands and sighed. When she straightened, she noticed dark marks on her right hand. Her eyes widen in unforgettable horror. "Ha... No... No, no, no..." Those marks belonging to Zepar, the queen of darkness, her torturer. Everything flashed in front of her eyes, she couldn't breathe. "No... Nah... _ **AAAAAH!**_ "

Zoe and Zander standing outside the room gasped hearing her terrified scream, running in her room. Reese felt a lack of air in her lungs. "Reese!" They came to her.

"What's wrong?!"

"N-nothing... Nothing at all..." Reese murmured, trembling, smiling at them. "But what was that scream about?" Zoe wondered, "A-are you hurt...?" "I'm fine..."

"Another one of your flashbacks," Zander realized. "Flashback? Reese, what's going on? Is... Zepar... No, she's gone, you must forget."

"It's alright... I'm so glad you're here. You're both here, together and not fighting. Two people, I love more than anything in the world finally be together with me, caring about the third one that will soon join too. I just wish to bring a baby to a loving family, I want its father and aunt to get along with no more fights ever again." Reese's eyes were filled with tears of happiness. "That's-that's all I ever wanted... Somebody who cares."

"All you wanted was somebody who cares...?" Zoe quietly repeated. Reese took their hands, laughing.

"I love your smile, angel," Zander confessed.

Zoe looked at him, confused. It felt strange seeing someone like that complimenting her sister and making her happy. But Zoe must break it, she must try.

"Reese... We must go home." "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not going anywhere?" Reese asked her raising her voice. "But-" "No buts!" she snapped and stood up. "They don't want you here!" "Then I'll protect her!" Zander said, "I'll protect her from my family no matter what."

"But what about the others in the present, everyone?! What about mom and dad?!" Zoe's questions were getting on Reese's nerves. "How do you think they'll feel? They won't even see their grandchild once!"

"Zoe..."

"If you just for once thought about the others more than yourself-" That was too much. Zander was holding himself back, avoiding a fight just like Reese wishes, but now he couldn't anymore.

"Then try it too!" he yelled at Zoe, "this whole time you're acting like a selfish spoiled brat! Your sister only wants happiness she doesn't have at home! She-" He stopped once he felt a hand on his shoulder, looking back he saw his angel shaking her head.

"I'm just trying to protect her!" Zoe snapped, "the last time she trusted someone like this, she almost ended up dead! I almost lost her..."

"Zoe, stop," Reese said, "no matter what you say, I'm going to stay here." "I just want you to-" "Ugh! Aha..." It seemed like Reese was hurt, she put her hands on her belly again, closing her eyes shut, tears streaming down.

"Reese!"

"Ha... Aha..."

"S-sis! What's wrong? Reese, I-"

"Get out..." Reese whispered. "Huh?" "I SAID GET OUT!" she shouted, "SCRAM! I... I don't wanna see you! I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU EVER AGAIN, SISTER!"

Zoe gasped, her eyes were filled in tears. "...no...no..." Zoe mumbled.

" _ **GET OUT!**_ "

Her legs were shaking, she couldn't stand it. The person she trusted the most hates her. She must get out... _Get out, get out, get out, getoutgetoutgetout!_

Zoe ran out of the room, crying. Passing around Sue, she ignored everything.

"How are you feeling?" Zander worried. "Good... I'm not actually hurt... Don't worry. I am a lair, after all, I can pretend, that was the only way to stop her." "That was a little cruel, don't you think?" "Yes," Reese admitted, "but I had no other choice. I hope she'll understand now." She sobbed, Zander immediately hugged her. "Zan...?" "Please, I don't want to see you cry..." "Like I said, I am a lair. These are fake tears."

Reese took off her glasses, wiping off her tears. "It isn't hard to pretend," she said. Zander worriedly sighed. "I'm fine," Reese tried to assure him, she smiled at him, "go. I'll be okay, I just need some sleep." Zander had no objections, he kissed her cheek and left.

After he closed the door, Reese's smile vanished and she fell on the bed, letting more tears escape. "It... isn't hard to... pretend..." she sobbed, "I'm so sorry, sis... I don't want to leave you, any of you, but... I am happy... Why this has to my decision...?" She looked at her stomach. "You give me more troubles than I expected," she said hatefully, realizing what actually came out of her mouth, it felt strange, it hurt her, "I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to... be so harsh on you... You did nothing wrong. See what person I am? You aren't even born yet and I already blame you. I do that to people I love. I was very harsh on Zoe, your aunt when she was younger. Please, don't blame me if you won't ever meet her, she's going to blame me for that too."

* * *

 **Girls' guest room**

Sue ran in and saw what she didn't want to. Zoe was sitting on the floor, crying, crying so much. Except for them and Paris and Annie that were trying comfort Zoe, there was no one. "Girl..." Sue came closer to her best friend, falling on her knees, hugging Zoe. "Girl... What the hell... happened...?" she wondered. "S... She... Hat..." Zoe murmured on Sue's shoulder. "What? I can't understand you." "She hates me..."

"No way..." Sue didn't need to hear more, she stood up and headed to the boys' room.

"Max! I need your help!" she shouted. "Why?" "It's important!" "Can't you at least explain what do you want from me?" Max asked her. "There's no time to explain!" Sue snapped, grabbing his hand and dragging him back into girls' room.

He froze in the place when he saw Zoe crying. "Why didn't you say so?" Max turned to Sue. "Just please, be with her, she needs you and you need her to forgive you. This is the best you can do for her now." Sue pushed him towards Zoe.

Max hugged Zoe tightly. "Shh... It will be fine." "Max...?" "I'm here."

"She hates me... Reese hates me..." Zoe sobbed. "She doesn't hate you. She wouldn't say something like that." "She doesn't... want to see me anymore... Why can't she understand it?" Zoe asked, "I don't want to lose her. I don't want to let her go..." "But you have to," Max said. "How can you say that?! She's my sister! I almost lost her in the Akuno, I don't want to feel the same way ever again."

"She's happy here," Max tried the same as everyone before, Zoe let him talk, "do you really want to see Reese heartbroken every single day or not see her, but know she's happy?" "I... I don't remember her like that. She... But she said she doesn't want to be with anyone I don't like."

"Maybe you don't hate him-"

"Or he's so important for her," Zoe realized, "she only wished for her own family. Reese... I'm sorry... She deserves to be happy. But she won't forgive me. Max, please, stay with me." "I will..." "I don't think I'll be able to face her and-"

Max put his finger to her lips, making her blush. "Please, shut up." Zoe determinedly looked at him. Max couldn't hold it anymore, he gave her a kiss.

They awkwardly stared at each other. Sue slowly, unnoticeably left the room.

Zoe rubbed Max's cheek. "I'm sorry I didn't come on our date," he apologized. "I forgive you. I know you. I just wanted you to..." "I know. It won't happen again, I promise."

* * *

They all laughed. Kenji's hair changed colors, from blue to black, changing his hairstyle, long hair down. He looked like his brother. "This is so cool!" "How...?" Ed wondered. "Maybe... it's thanks to Mary's magic..." Dark suggested. "Maybe..." Kenji admitted, changing his voice, "it is very likely, she could change her appearence, after all."

"Was that supposed to be Den...?" Dark asked. "This can be useful," Kenji laughed.

That laughter brought Reese to them, hiding. _"They're having a lot of fun. I will miss you... I'm so sorry, everyone. Goodbye..."_


	9. I really love you

There was a complete darkness covering the town, almost everyone calmly slept. Except for Rex, Ace, Justin, and Karo were woken up by Cole's loud snoring. In two different rooms, two people couldn't sleep as well. They were moving from side to side with nightmares in their heads.

* * *

 _Zander was walking to the lake, towards his angel. It was a sunny day, a sunlight shined on his face, he couldn't see very well. He called out her name. Reese turned to him, crying but smiling. Her right eye was changing from purple to absolute dark. He stopped, shocked by what he sees. Then she spoke up._

 _"I **s so** m **e** thi **ng w** ro **ng,** Zan?" He heard two different voices at once. She was covered in blood. White bloody angel wings appeared on her back. He started to run. She was fading away. She made one step back, falling into the lake. He reached his arm to her, but- **"It's too late!"** a female voice laughed._

 _"No... My angel...?"_

 _"Please! Help!" the angel cried, "Zander! PLEASE! HELP MEEE-" A disgusting squishing noise sounded, the screams suddenly stopped. She was..._

 _" **ANGEEEEEL!** " he cried._

* * *

He quickly opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling, trembling and sweating. That wasn't true, that wasn't... That couldn't...

He was crying, more than ever before. He got up, leaving his room, running to his angel.

He desperately knocked on her door, waking her up.

* * *

 _ **"Le** t every **body** hear it **, Reese** **Drake** is **a dirty** liar **and trait** o **r!"** It resonated in her head, driving her crazy. "No... Stop!" She felt a stabbing pain in her arm, around her neck. "N-no..." She couldn't see. She tried to take off whatever was around her neck, whatever was strangling her. "Gha... S... Stop!" It was the green scarf, Zoe's scarf. "Gha..." She was choking, unable to breathe._

 _"Stop... Sto... St... p... Zepar... Plea... se... st... op..."_

* * *

Reese begged, "Stop... Stop...!" still sleeping. She had to wake up, it was making her insane. Her eyes slightly opened when she heard the knocking. "Huh...?" Snapping out of her nightmare, she woke up and sat up, putting on her glasses. He knocked on the door again. She went to open it.

Zander, worried sick, hugged her, crying into her shoulder. "You're okay... My angel, you're... okay..." "Yeah. What's wrong, Zander?" she asked him. "I'm... I'm so glad you aren't hurt..." he sobbed, "I... I'm sorry..." "D-did you have a nightmare?" Zander nodded. "Don't worry, I'm here." "I'm so glad you're both okay..."

"Zan, please, don't cry, I'll stay with you, forever and ever, I promise. You can stay here with me for the rest of the night, okay?"

"Okay... I... I'm sorry for-" "You don't have to apologize for your cry," Reese interrupted him, "you were worried about us. It's understandable. You said that crying is okay, as long as you have a reason." She put her hands on his cheeks, smiling. "I had a nightmare too." "What?!" Zander wondered, he was so worried, "m-my angel, are you-Not another nightmare..." "It's fine... I'm getting used to it," Reese said calmly. "How can you be so calm?" Zander asked her, "she tortures her despite being gone. Don't be afraid to show your feelings." He noticed Reese's trembling down lip.

"What's wrong, angel?" "I-I'm just afraid..." Reese quietly admitted. "Of what? D-don't worry, I'm here," Zander assured her, hugging her again, rubbing her cheek, "everything will be al-" "I'm scared... If Zepar's still alive she's after me, after... _Us_. If anything happened to our baby, I wouldn't survive that, I'd never forgiven myself."

"Nothing will happen, I'll protect you. We'll be together tonight, so no one can touch you." He kissed her forehead.

"Forever and ever..." Reese murmured.

"Oh, my angel~" Zander whispered in her ear, his singing hypnotized her. She melted and fell into his arms. After a while, she fell asleep. Zander kissed her.

"Everything will be alright, I promise."

* * *

A sunshine woke the scientist up in the early morning, it wasn't the only thing. Reese opened her eyes, realizing that Zander was hugging her. It was so comfortable, she felt safe, but it couldn't last forever. She quickly sat up, it was there again. She covered her mouth. She picked up a bucket next to the bed and leaned over it. "Urg..."

Zander woke up, seeing the girl he loves in this horrible state. Reese was so pale, her hair was so messy. She vomited. Zander sat up and held her hair. "Th... Thanks..." Reese murmured, she continued throwing up. Her body was trembling like crazy.

"Gha... Ha... S... Sorry... I'm sorry, you have to see me like this... Urg..."

"It's okay." He patted her back. "Gha..." She finally stopped.

"How are you?" Zander asked. "Better... My head hurts so bad..." Reese replied quietly, "ha... It's..." "I'm sorry I did this to you," he apologized. "I-it... It's not your fault... Well, maybe kind of, but... It will be worth it. We will..." she sobbed, "I-I'm sorry-" She ran away into the bathroom.

Zander walked back to his room. He changed his clothes and then...

Took a small dark red box. Staring at it for a while, he almost cried.

He couldn't do that, not because he was afraid that she'd say no, but because he can't tear her apart from her family. He heard her, he heard her crying during the night.

She misses them, she misses them so much.

"I love you... I can't do that to you, my angel."

He grabbed cards, hid it with his Alpha scanner, Spiny's card, an iron plate and the box in his pockets and went back to Reese's room. He opened the door without thinking and his face turned completely red. His girlfriend was changing her clothes. He caught her in a bad moment, s-she was almost n-n-na-naked! Only wearing her underwear.

She chuckled and hid her body in her lab cloak, blushing like crazy.

"Close the door."

Zander stood there for a while shocked, didn't do anything until Reese said it again. "Um... Y-you..." "What?" Reese wondered, "what's wrong?" "Y-yo-y-you-you're..." Zander stuttered. Reese laughed. "Don't be nervous, you already saw me like this." She was blushing more and more.

"You're beautiful."

"Heh... You really love fluttering me, don't you...?"

"No, I really love you."

"Uh?! Come here," Reese said. Zander just stared at her. "Please, come here," she repeated. He still stood there, he didn't listen.

He was holding the small box in his pocket, thinking about it. He couldn't, he wasn't brave enough.

Reese walked to him, taking Zander's hand from the pocket, making him drop the box in the pocket. He was blushing, seeing her not trying to cover her body with her cloak anymore. He noticed several scars on her body.

She put his hand on her belly, holding it there. It was strange, he felt something weird. He thought it was too soon for it. "Is that...?" Reese nodded. "It isn't moving yet, but it can really warm up your heart." She laid her head on his chest. "Thank you…" "I'll do anything for you, my angel," Zander said as he hugged her.

They stood there like that for a while, then he spoke up again: "Can we go to have breakfast in the town and then walk around?" "I would love that."

"Um... Y-you should take some clothes on first..."

"Oh! Y-yeah... I... Got a little carried away I guess... Give me a minute."

* * *

Reese went out of her room, dressed up, with the scarf around her neck. Zander waited for her.

"Shall we go?" she asked him, taking his hand. He nodded.

Heading out of the building, they met someone they didn't expect. Reese smiled at them. Sue waved, but Zoe didn't react to the couple at first. She then looked at her sister in fear and tears in her eyes. She looked down at the floor and passed by.

"Sis...?"

"You hurt her, you know?" Sue said and followed her best friend.

"I... Maybe I was harder than I attempted to," Reese realized. "Don't blame yourself. Come on."

They went to eat something and then near the lake. Reese was quiet and sad the whole time. Zander didn't feel good either, he remembered his dream, but wasn't bothered about it, Reese's sadness got more of his attention.

"Ree-" "I'm fine, I'm fine!" Reese gave a lurch. "Are you sure?" Zander asked her. "Yeah, yeah! ...I'm just..."

"Worried about your sister?"

"A little... Our fight never lasted longer than a few hours. It bothers me a little..." she admitted. "Why? I always fought with Ursula and Ed when we were younger," Zander remembered. "That's different. I literally told her to get lost forever... I didn't really mean, I just... She's my little sister and I need her..." With her words, Zander grabbed the small box tightly.

"M-my angel?"

"Yes...?"

"I wanted to ask you..." He was blushing so much, making Reese nervous. What does he want? It was strange.

"Will you..." No... No, no, no! He wasn't going to-She wanted it, wished for it to be true, but she didn't believe that.

Reese gasped and covered her mouth, shaking with excitement.

And then he asked.

"Will you help me to get the rest of the cards for Dr. Z?"

"...what...?" Reese whispered, very slowly realizing what he actually said. _"Are you kidding me?! ...he... He didn't want to do **that** , right? I'm just imaging thing."_

She suddenly noticed that Zander is handing her two cards, one of them was a move card, and an iron plate she created. "Out of all people, you deserve this the most," Zander told her. Reese took them. Looking at the cards, she recognized a dinosaur with a green forehead. "Activate it."

Reese obeyed. She pinned the plate on her scarf and put the grey card to it. A green beam flew to the ground, turning into a small Saurolophus. It looked around and then nuzzled Reese's leg, purring. Reese smiled at it, kneeling down, rubbing its head. "It likes you," Zander laughed, "how you're going to name it?" "...Sarah." The Saurolophus happily roared.

"She's adorable." Sarah jumped into Reese's arms.

"Zander, what do you think it's going to be? A girl or a boy?" she asked as she straightened up. "Well, you just called it Sarah, so, I think a girl-" "I mean our baby, silly," she interrupted Zander, laughing and putting her finger on his nose.

"Oh, I see... I guess it'll be a boy," Zander said. "Really? I have a feeling it's a sweet little girl, but it's too soon to know that. I already thought of the name," Reese admitted. "Already?" "Yes, I promised my sister that if I'd ever had a daughter I'd give her name Zoe Paris... But not to confuse everyone, I think Parie is better, it's a combination of their names." "I-I don't have a name yet..." "It's okay, Zan, you have 7 months for that after all."

Huge footsteps approached. They looked in different directions, from both sides there was a dinosaur walking towards them, a dark blue Baryonyx with light blue stripes and a green Shantungosaurus with dark green spots. "Why do they look so strange?" Reese asked. "I don't know," Zander replied, "but they want to fight for sure." "That won't be a problem," Reese said as she turned Sarah the Saurolophus into a card and activated it, "Dino slash! Saurolophus, sprout!" "W-wait, what are you doing?!" surprised Zander wondered. "I'm going to fight. You asked me to help you after all."

"...If you think so..." Zander summoned Spiny to the battle.

"We'll take that Shantungosaurus," Reese decided. "Okay..."

Spiny bit Baryonyx's neck, but it didn't even seem like it hurt it. Sarah smacked the Shantungosaurus with her tail, the same as the Baryonyx, no damage seemed to be done.

The Shantungosaurus charged at Spiny, knocking him down, stomping on him. The Baryonyx grabbed Sarah's tail, throwing her at Spiny.

"Oh no... Ah, think, Reese, think!" she told herself, "we must get out of this." "Don't worry." Zander put his hand on her shoulder.

Trying to fight the same way as they did, Spiny and Sarah got tired.

When it looked the worst, Reese took Zander's hand, realizing something. They're in this together, side by side.

They looked at each other, thinking the same thing, taking their move cards and swiping them at the same time.

Baryonyx and Shantungosaurus couldn't stand that. "Unbelievable," Reese murmured, "I never saw such a powerful move, not even all six of you couldn't..." "Maybe a power of love," Zander suggested, holding Reese's hand tighter. She just chuckled and blushed.

Baryonyx and Shantungosaurus turned into cards, falling to the ground, a smoke came out of them. Reese didn't move, that smoke looked familiar. Zander picked up the cards. They both retrieved their dinosaurs.

"You were great," Zander fluttered Reese. "Only thanks to you. I-"

She heard a laugh behind her, that devilish laugh. Her blood ran cold, she was trembling, that nightmare, that feeling was back. She turned around. A dark smoke with a claw flew towards her, she gasped, didn't move. The claw was about to hit her.

"Reese!" Zander hugged her, getting scratched by the claw, "Aaah!" It hurt so much. Reese's eyes widen. "Zander! No!" "Ha... Ugh..." Zander was shaking, barely breathing. "Zan?" She hugged him back, sobbing into his chest. "What the heck was that? Zan... Please, look at me, breathe!"

Reese heard that laughter again, then Zander spoke up: "Stay away..." "Uh...? Zan?" "Stay away from me, please..."

Before Reese could do something, Zander pushed her away, causing her to fall to the ground. "Ugh!" Reese looked up at her boyfriend in horror. His body was almost completely covered by those dark marks. No... No... He would never do that.

 **"Hehehe... Whahahaha! WHAHAHAHAHA!"** that laugh came out of Zander's mouth, Reese was shaking in fear, that... voice...

 **"It's beautiful to be back, nice to see you again, creator,"** Zander... No, Zepar in his body said.

"No... No... No!" Reese screamed, "y-you're supposed to be-" **"Dead? Ohoho~ You cannot defeat the goddess!"** "Let him be!" **"Why? Do you love him so much?"**

"YES! Yes, I do." Reese got up and came close to _them._ "Zander, please! Wake up-"

He smirked and summoned Spiny in a battle form. The Spinosaurus was ready to attack the scientist, but she kept calm and activated Sarah's card to protect herself.

"Sarah, I know this all looks strange, but, please, keep Spiny away," Reese told her and turned to Zander, "I won't fight you. Not because you're in his body." **"You're too scared of me."**

"Just let him be," Reese pleased. **"Why? He's just a worthless trash!"**

"Take that back! He isn't worthless. He isn't a trash! He's a great man, a gentleman. Someone with bad past, but with a good future."

 **"Why do you care? Not even his biological family wants him!"**

"Shut up!"

 **"You know, if you really want him, I have a little game for you. You sure know 'She loves me, she loves me not'."**

Zander snapped his fingers, summoning several white flowers around them.

 **"Choose one. I'll play. If I'll end with 'she loves me' then I'll let him go, I'm also starting with it."**

Reese smirked. She only needed to pick a flower with an odd number of petals. There it was, a flower with 7 petals, she took it and gave it to Zander. He started to tear off the petals. **"She loves me,"** he torn off the first petal, **"she** loves me not. **She loves me, she lo** ves me not, **She loves me, she loves** me _not_ **. She-"** The flower in his hand, left with the last petal, burned in black flames.

 **"Oops. I'm so clumsy~"**

"You..." Reese couldn't hold herself, Zepar's taking him away. "You did it on purpose..."

 **"Nooo~ No, no, no. I forgot to tell you something if I'd end with 'she loves me not', he'll find out what kind of person you really are."**

"What are you talking about?" Reese wondered.

 **"You used him, remember? When you met for the second time, you used his trust to get your family to safety. You care more about them than him."**

"Zepar, don't do me. Don't be a lair."

A knife materialized in Zander's hand. **"Do you know what is better than hurt you and your baby? Having** ** _him_** **do that for me! Whahah... WHAHAHAHAHA!"** He laughed like crazy. He was about stab Reese, but Sarah got a hit for her.

"Zander, please! Zan!" He didn't respond. _"Why can't he hear me? She's more powerful than with me or he's... He's too weak..."_

"Sarah!"

Spiny grabbed Sarah's tail in his jaws and swung her away.

"Zander!"

Reese's voice did nothing. "Zepar, please, I'll do anything! Just let him go!"

 **"Do you really want him back?"** Zepar asked her. Reese determinedly nodded.

 **"Alright then. On your knees!"** Reese didn't obey at first, she didn't want to be her puppet again.

 **"I said ON YOUR KNEES!"** Zepar yelled. Reese's legs broke under her, falling on her knees. "What the..."

 **"Whahah... Now, your hands on the ground and lay your forehead on them."** Reese's body did exactly what Zepar said. She was lying on the ground.

 **"Heh... Now, pray."**

"No... I-" Reese wanted to refuse, but Zander stepped on her head and repeated.

 **"PRAY! PRAY TO YOUR GODDESS! SAY IT! SAY: OH, MY PRECIOUS GODDESS, THE POWERFUL ZEPAR, PLEASE, I BEG YOU ON MY KNEES, RELEASE THIS INNOCENT SPIRIT AND PUNISH ME THE SINNER WITH THE DARKEST SOUL INSTEAD! WHAHAHA! You don't have to laugh."**

Reese started to mumble word to word what Zepar said, repeating it over and over again. Tears ran down her face.

He devilishly smiled. **"You're completely mine~"**

"Zan... Please..."

* * *

 _Zander was trying, trying to wake up, but he couldn't. That woman, that devil hurts his angel and he can't do anything._

* * *

 **"WHAHAHAHA!"**

Zander kneed down to her, grabbing her chin, forcing her to look at him. "S-stop..."

 **"You now belong to me, your body belongs only to me!"**

"I won't... I'm not your puppet! I'm sorry, Zan... Sarah, **Metal wing**!" Reese put sister's move card to the plate. Pteranodons appeared and flew at dark marks disappeared.

Zepar immediately left his body. He was confused. The move didn't stop. Spiny decided to take a hit instead of him. _"I've got your back, mate..."_ he'd say before turning into a card.

"W-what...?" "...Zan..." Reese looked up at him, stood up and ran into his arms.

"You're... You're okay..." she sobbed into his shoulder. "A-angel...? What h-happened? A-aren't you hurt?" "No, I'm fine..."

"And psychically?" he wondered. Reese didn't answer. "I'm so sorry... I let her control me..."

"Don't apologize. You didn't do or say any of that, it was her, only her. It's my fault, she's after me... Zander, if she's going to do that again, I won't take it. I usually wouldn't mind Zepar hurting me, but now it would mean she'd hurt Parie too..." Reese sobbed. Zander smiled. "Or Gabriel," he said. "Huh?" Reese looked up at him. "What did you just say?"

"Gabriel," Zander repeated, "if it'd be a boy. It's an angel name, isn't it? Please, don't cry anymore." He took off her glasses, wiping off her tears. She hugged him tightly, feeling something strange on his back, noticing he's trying to pretend it doesn't hurt when she has her hands there.

Reese looked at her hands, seeing red fuzzy spots. She gasped, taking her glasses from Zander, putting them on. She was right, she had his blood on her hands. Her eyes widen in horror, she got pale.

"Y-you're bleeding!"

"N-No..." Zander lied not to stress her out, it didn't help. "Turn around!" He didn't obey. She turned him herself, seeing it. He had three terrible scratches on his back, bleeding badly.

Reese's face changed almost green, she covered her mouth, barely standing.

"My angel...?"

"I-I should treat you..." she whispered through her fingers. She couldn't stand any longer and fell into his arms.


	10. Reinforcements

"Ow, ow, ow..." Zander without his cape and shirt on sobbed in pain. Kyra was treating him in Reese's room, Sarah and Spiny played together. "Come on, be a man," Reese chuckled, her eyes closed to avoid looking at the blood. "Alright..." "Don't be a crybaby," Kyra said, "you know, you two by _that_ caused Ree much bigger pain. Do you realize that a birth will be pretty painful and uncomfortable for her?" "No..." Zander honestly replied, "I-I... I didn't want to hurt her-" "It's okay like I said..." Reese put her hand on her belly. "It is worth it, I can stand a little pain in order to be happy with you and our little treasure."

"Aww... You have just the best girlfriend~ I'm so jealous!"

"Kyra, stop."

"Fine, fine..." Kyra finished bandaging Zander's wounds. "Ree, what actually happened? I'm not an expert, but these aren't wounds from a dinosaur, I'm sure of it."

"Can you keep it a secret?" Reese asked her, waiting for her to nod, "it was Zepar. She... She is back." "No way..." "Yes way, Kyra. She... I-I... Just don't say anything to anyone. I don't want them to know after sacrificing so much to defeat her, especially Zoe..." "B-but... Ree, how?" "I don't know... But she wants me, she wants her revenge. That's why you, Kyra, and the others must go home as soon as possible."

"And leave you behind with her? No way!" Kyra objected, "if she's here, she'll hurt you, both of you!" "Usually I wouldn't mind... I must wait 7 months and then I can fight her for the final time-" "No!" Zander shouted, "she'll kill you... T-that's the only thing she wants. You should go with your friends back home. Zepar isn't there, so, you two will be safe." "And leave you behind?" Reese said with tears in her eyes, looking at Zander, he nodded, "you can't be serious! I won't leave you!" "Angel, I'll do anything to keep you two safe, even if it means giving you up and letting you go..."

 _"He can't mean..."_

"I am _not_ leaving-" Reese quickly covered her mouth. "Ree? What's wrong?" Her skin was paler, she ran into the bathroom and yelled at them, vomiting: "Leave!"

"Oh, Ree..."

They obeyed her. Only Sarah stayed, walking to the door, worried. She pushed to the door, nothing happened. _"C'mon, open. Open! Please!"_ After a while, the door really opened, Reese came to the bed, crying. _"Reese!"_ Sarah followed her. Reese sat on the bed. _"No, no, no, don't cry. There's nothing to worry about!"_

"And we're where we ended up yesterday... I keep running in the same circles over and over again. I wish to stay here, but not to leave anyone... Why...? Why did he say that? He doesn't want me to leave, does he? What am I thinking?!"

Before she could break into more tears, her phone rang. When she picked it up, she heard a female voice: "Hi, I thought if we could meet up and talk about something." "I don't see a problem, but who are you?"

* * *

Kyra and Zander still worried were walking away. "Is it normal that she throws up so often?" Zander asked Kyra. "She's going to have a baby, it is often, but Wendy didn't that often. It can depend on the person. She's also afraid of blood, so, that very likely helped too and she's even stressed out, that can be bad for both of them," Kyra explained, making Zander more worried, she noticed, "don't worry, she's pretty tough and can handle every situation. Ree wouldn't purposely risk the health of her baby, I know that."

"...But... You faced Zepar's power before, right?"

"Kinda... She... I saw my family hurt when I looked into her eyes, but Ree saved me."

"So, she never forced you to hurt someone you love..."

"No... Only my broken mind does that-Don't even say-" He just nodded. Kyra gasped and covered her mouth. "She forced you... No! You wouldn't-" "She controlled my whole body, I couldn't do anything," Zander said sadly, letting a tear fall. "I didn't even know Zepar can do something like that..."

"She made Reese do even more horrible things."

"So, she really used Ree... N-no...T-that's what happened. When we arrived she was lying there, hurt, and Zepar was after her. Ree tried to betray her."

"This isn't the best topic for any of us. Kyra, can you make sure Zoe feels okay?" Zander asked Kyra, shocking her. "W-why?" "Reese told her something cruel... Now, they both feel bad because of that." "Now that you mentioned, she looked a little upset..."

"Thank you."

They didn't even notice amber eyes watching them, waiting for Reese to leave her room.

* * *

 **Later**

"Here you have them!" Dr. Z snapped, giving D-team the Dinotector. "That's so cool!" Cole cheered, "let's try them!" "But we would need the new device for that," Dengyo stopped him, "am I right?" "Yes," Rex nodded. "Oh, I wonder who had to do that," Sue commented, looking at Alice and Justin. "We would have done that!" Justin objected, "but..." "Reese said she's tired, so, I got you guys to do some work and that's the only thing done on the devices," Alice explained.

Zoe grabbed Max's hand tightly. "Something wrong?" Max quietly asked her. "Then I talked to her and made her mad," Zoe whispered, "I can't even look at her...I hurt her..." "It will be okay." Max gave her a big smile.

"I haven't seen her since after that battle," Kenji realized, "do you think she's alright?" "...I'm... sure she is..." Dark said. "She needs some time," Kyra said, "I mean a pregnancy isn't the easiest. It can cause a big emotional instability, especially for someone like Ree. If she'll break into a cry or sudden laugh, it won't be surprising."

"I won't," a calm voice sounded behind them, Reese was standing in the door. Zoe looked away from her. "I can control myself, unlike someone."

She let go of Max's hand and quickly walked away. "Zoe?" "What's up with her?" Reese wondered. "I-I go after her," Max said and left. "I think _somebody_ told her something hell bad," Sue murmured, looking at Reese. "Did I have another choice? It was the only way to open her eyes. Anyway, I go work on the device."

"Yeah... Everything is prepared, material, blueprints," Alice told Reese. "Thanks," the scientist said as she headed away, her Saurolophus following.

* * *

Zander was watching his angel at work, she finished one of the devices, then he decided to step in.

He started to sing: " **Oh, my Angel. I love my Dinosaur.**

 **But when I look into your eyes, I think I love you more.**

 **Be my Jurassic Valentine.** "

"Huh?! Z-Zan?"

" **Falling deep into your eyes, I love the way you archaeologies.**

 **Angel stay with me forever moooooooor-** "

"Zan, stop!" Reese growled. Zander immediately stopped. "I don't have time for this." "A-angel... Sorry I bothered you..." Zander said sadly and turned around. Reese couldn't stand it. "Zander, wait!" He turned back to her. She stood up but for some reason, she lost balance. "Angel!" Zander ran to her and stopped her fall.

"Are you alright? W-what happened?"

"I'm fine... Damn high heals! I must have step badly or something," Reese replied. "And you're really okay?" Zander asked her. "Yes."

 _"W-what's wrong?"_ Reese felt her feet unnaturally shaking and wobbling. It happened before when she got these shoes on when she came back from that meeting with-

"Angel?"

"I'm sorry, Zan, for acting like that. It's just... I must work."

"Is your work really more important than a family to you?" Zander wondered. Reese remembered. _"What the... What is he trying to say? Why does he say the same thing as Zoe did?"_

"N-no... It's not like that. Nothing's more important than family to me!" Reese said. "Not even me?" "Huh? What...?"

 _"Zan... What's wrong? He isn't pointing to that, is he? Something's wrong with him..."_

"You used me-" "N-no! No, I didn't, I... Do you really believe that? Do you believe _her_?!" "No! I just..." "Back then... I wanted to keep my family safe. It was the only way. I love you and I wouldn't do that ever again. I'm not like Zepar. Like I said I'm not going to leave you."

"I'm sorry I doubted you, my angel," Zander apologized.

"No, I'm sorry... I don't want you to be sad. I know what will make you happier."

Reese hummed for a while and then she started to... sing?

" **Oh, my sweet man, you love your dinosaur.**

 **And when I look into your eyes, I know I love you more.**

 **I'll be your Jurassic Valentine.**

 **Falling deep into your eyes, I love the way you fantasize.**

 **I'll stay with you forever moooooooore!**

 **And love you like you love your dinosaur.** "

No, it was so out of the notes that it can't be called singing.

Zander stared at her, she was blushing more than ever before.

 _"Why did I do that? I made a fool out of myself..."_

"Angel, t-that w-was..." Zander anxiously stuttered, he didn't want to hurt her, but he didn't want to lie to her either. "It was horrible... I know," Reese admitted, "I wanted to... You wrote me that song to express the love you feel for me and I wanted to do the same. I changed some of the words, but I completely ruined it because I can't sing." "No, no, no! It's okay, I love the words. And the singing... Wasn't the best, but... You can get better."

"I have an idea!" Reese took something from an inside pocket of her lab cloak. It was her silver flute. "A flute? What do you-"

"Shh! Just listen."

Zander obeyed her, watching her carefully. Once he heard the first note Reese played on the flute, a wide shining smile appeared on his face. It was his song.

Reese played it for a while. When she stopped, she was smiling as well. She fell into Zander's hug.

"That was... Incredible..." "Thanks... I guess you're going to sing and I'm going to play it as a lullaby for Parie." "I'm sure Gabriel will like it," Zander said, his hands on Reese's back slowly lowering down, making Reese's face totally red. "Uhm... Zan...?" He immediately put his hands off her. "S-sorry!" His face was even redder than hers.

Reese pulled him closer, taking his hand, putting it on her belly again. "Maybe it's too soon, but I think she likes that song," Reese said. "He," Zander wanted to correct her. Reese chuckled and replied: "I won't argue with you about that."

They looked at each other, leaning closer they kissed for a long time. Zander wrapped his arms around Reese, pulling her even closer. She was shaking with excitement. No... That wasn't just exciting, her feet were trembling again.

 _"What's wrong? I... I can't stand..."_

They stopped when they needed an air. Reese was silent. "Did something happen, my angel?" Zander wondered. She didn't answer.

He grabbed her right hand and put his on her hips. "Uh...? What are you-" "You can dance, can't you, angel?" "M-maybe... But I'll never be an as good dancer as you are," Reese admitted. "I'm good just at single dancing," Zander told her, "...Ellie taught me how to dance in a pair." "Is everything okay?" "Yeah, yeah!"

Zander started to sing and dance with Reese. But halfway through the song-

 _"Oh no!"_ Reese heard and actually felt something cracking, she lost her balance. She let go of Zander to prevent his fall. He couldn't stop hers, he wasn't fast enough. When he realized what's going on, it was too late. Reese's head encountered the desk and her body hit the ground.

 _"No, no, no... Nonononono! What have I...?"_ His eyes widen in indescribable horror and fear. The blood flowing from her head didn't help him to calm down.

"Angel...? ANGEL! PLEASE, HELP! SOMEONE! ANYONE!"

* * *

 **Hospital, an hour later**

Not even time that passed since he saw her helped him to forget that look and calm down. He was shaking more than ever, crying. He was standing in the corridor, in front of the room Reese was in, holding Sarah, Spiny nuzzling his leg slightly to comfort him, he couldn't go in. He knew he must, but he couldn't.

Rushing footsteps approached him. They stopped near him. He looked up from the floor and saw Zoe, Max, Rex, Sue, Kyra, and their dinos.

"Is she okay?" Zoe asked him. "I don't know." "What happened?" "I don't know..." "How it happened?" "I-I don't know..." "Where is she?" Zander pointed at the door in front of them.

"W-what did you do to her?!" Zoe snapped at him. "I-I didn't want to... She lost her balance and fell..." Zander sobbed, "I... I couldn't prevent that... I wasn't able to save her..." "You-" "Zoe, no..." Max took her hand, stopping her.

"But Reese is hurt! She's hurt because of him!"

"Girl, she'll sure be fine," Sue tired to assure her. "I would never purposely hurt her!" Zander objected.

Zoe turned to the door and started knocking. "Reese?" She took the knob, but the door didn't even move. "It's locked?" She knocked again. "Reese, it's me, Zoe!" There was a silence on the other side of the door. "Please... I know you're angry at me, but I want to know if you're okay..." She knocked more.

Suddenly a robotic voice spoke up and a dark blue robot moved on the door: "The patient doesn't wish to be disturbed, walk away." "...But I'm her sister!" "Walk away or else I will be forced to electrocute you."

"What... I won't stop until I see my sister!"

"Zoe, don't!" Rex tried to stop her. "G-girl, I would listen to him..."

Zoe didn't listen to them. "Zo, I don't think it's the best idea," Kyra said. Zoe continued hitting the door. "As you wish," the robot said. Sparks appeared near him. "Zoe, watch out." Max wanted to get her out of the way, but she pushed him away.

Before Zoe could get shocked, Zander, putting quickly Sarah on the floor, stepped in front of her, but nothing happened. Zoe stared at him in disbelief.

"Sorry, it did that again..." a young black-haired man apologized, holding a remote control. "You are that guy we met with that chick," Sue realized. "Who are you?" Rex asked him. "My name is Jeremy Ian Komatsu, I'm Ellie's younger brother."

"Komatsu?" Kyra wondered, carefully watching him.

"I-I am part of security... Sorry again, all the AIs are acting weird since that virus incident." "Still? It was eight years ago," Rex said.

"Zoe, are you-" "I'm fine," Zoe replied before Max could even ask. She turned to Zander.

While that was going on, Paris and Sarah ran to the door, they were happy, she was coming.

The scientist opened the door with her head bandaged, saying nothing, but letting everyone know she isn't happy.

"Ree, how are you?" Kyra asked her. Reese's answer was immediate and strict: "Fine."

She gave Zander and Zoe a death glare, even worse one than usual, scaring them. "You two."

"...Uh... Yes...?" They both insecurely nodded.

"Don't go on my eyesight," Reese said coldly. "What...?" "E-excuse me...?"

"If you can't stand in one room for five minutes without arguing, then I don't want to see either of you." With those, she left, Sarah followed her.

"I... I screwed up again..." Zoe sobbed, "everything I do is wrong in her eyes." "That's... Maybe true," Zander told her, "but despite that, she cares about you more than anything." "No... She cares about you the most and I was a fool I didn't realize that sooner and wanted her to leave," Zoe admitted, "I'm sorry and... Thank you... But why did you-" "I don't want to be a villain anymore and Reese would never forgive me that..." Zoe just smiled at him.

* * *

 **Toilets**

Reese fell on her knees beside the toilet, her legs couldn't hold her. She started vomiting again.

 _"This is... This is horrible..."_ she thought, _"I... Didn't even know it's that bad. And... I never expected to see people I love fighting. I must decide... Stay? Or go home? It's a terrible thought and everything because of this stupid little-I wish it would be over. I don't want to be worried about something inside me every time I do anything. I can't be myself anymore because I would hurt it and I don't want that... I just want this to be over, not to wake up and throw up, worrying about myself more than before. I want to stop this, I want to end this. I am too weak... I don't want this, I don't want it. Just remove it from me already, stop my suffering."_

It took her some time to realize something is going on around her. She was washing her face to snap out of that. "What-what am I thinking?" she asked herself, "those are all lies. I would never want that... Come on, open your eyes, Reese!"

She stared at her reflection.

* * *

 **Alpha gang base**

With that pool of blood, the room looked like a crime scene. Ed, Dengyo, Cole, Alice, Justin, Kenji, and Dark were investigating the place. Justin was trying to look away from the blood to stay conscious.

"How...? I... can't believe... that happened..." Dark whispered. "Don't cry!" Kenji hugged. Dengyo noticed something, he picked up a red heal. "That's Reese's," Cole realized. "It is scratched," Dengyo stated. "Zander said she fell, so, this isn't surprising," Ed said. "No... I don't think it was by the fall." "And if Dengyo says so, it's true," Kenji laughed, "he's the ultimate detective. Bro, you just need a hat and cut your hair to look like Shui-" "Kenji, not now."

Kenji changed his hair color to darker and shortened his hair. "If you won't cosplay him, then I will!" "Kenji, leave it on later," Justin told him, "if Reese's shoes were not damaged by the fall, then-" "Ugh! It was someone-Ugh..." Alice sobbed in pain, holding her head. "Sister! A-again?" "Don't worry... I..."

"Asu, you shouldn't... do that..." Dark murmured. "It's... it's fine... I... I see something... They actually really damaged it... They wanted to hurt Reese..." Alice explained. "Who?" Cole wondered.

"I don't know... I only see amber, no... hazel eyes..."

Ed immediately realized who is she talking about: "No... This is bad."

* * *

 **Hospital, toilets**

She stared at her reflection, still snapping out. She saw something coming. She quickly dodged, seeing a pipe hitting the sink she stood a second ago at. Reese turned back, she didn't expect her to attack, but when she noticed those dark marks on her face, she knew.

Ursula attacked her again with the pipe, more aggressively than before. Reese made a few big steps back, hitting the wall. Another attack was coming, Reese ducked. She would run, but she couldn't risk another fall, the floor was completely wet.

"Zepar, let her be!"

No answer.

Reese straightened up, Sarah stood in front of her, growling. "Sarah, you can't fight here," Reese told her.

 **"If you wish for a fight."** Ursula grabbed Reese, teleporting herself, the scientist, and her dinosaur outside.

"Ursula, snap out of it! I know you can!"

She didn't listen. Taking her Alpha scanner, she summoned Terry. Reese, scared of her life when he looked at her, picked Sarah from the ground. The T-Rex was coming closer, Reese was backing off until a tree stopped her.

It's happening again, she's useless. It was the totally same scenario as two years ago when she faced the Crylophosaurus now known as Nicolas' Ria. She was shaking with fear. Then a quiet voice in her head told her something: _"The first time this happened, Zepar got all of her power back, the second time you were stronger and braver, what happened?"_

"I won't give up," Reese said as she turned Sarah into a card and activated her. Sarah pushed Terry as far away from Reese as she could. Terry grabbed Sarah's tail and threw her away. "Sarah, no!" **"And it will get worse, whahaha!"** Ursula was ready to swipe her move card. "I won't let you do that!" Reese jumped at her, causing both of them to fall on the ground. **"Ah!** You... Get off **me, creator!"** She heard parts of Ursula's voice this time.

"I know what's this like! You must fight it! Ursula, you're slowly losing yourself!"

"H **ow ca** n you **know** wh **at's** it **lik** e?!" Ursula snapped. "Please, trust me at least with this..." She struggled, successfully shook Reese off and stood up.

"Wake up!"

* * *

 _Nothing she says will change this, nothing._

* * *

"Don't be her puppet!"

* * *

 _Nothing..._

 _That devil was holding her on the strings, she couldn't fight. **"What are you trying to do?"**_

 _Ursula grabbed the strings and tried to tear them apart, but the only thing she did was hurting and scratching her hands._

 ** _"You can't fight me._**

 _She was right..._

* * *

"You're going to kill me for this, old lady."

* * *

 _Her anger was awakened. She remembered._

 _She was just 6 years old, a man was standing in front of her. She was crouching in the corner, crying, it hurt her. He hit again, and again, it was her father._

 _Not long after that, they saved her and took her to the orphanage. She didn't talk to anyone for some time, she was suspicious of everyone._

 _One day when she was eating her lunch all alone, two boys came to her, one was almost 3 years old and the other one 8. They talked with her, had fun and later got into troubles together as siblings that they later became._

 _ **"Stop, lying to yourself."**_

 _No, she got the control back._

* * *

Ursula... No, Zepar picked the pipe up, heading at Reese, that was still lying on the ground. She was about to attack, when something wrapped around her wrists, it was some kind of lasso.

Reese recognized it. "That can't be..." A guardian... In the next second, it was confirmed that he isn't alone.

The words: "Ursula, my love!" made the dark marks disappear. Ursula let go of the pipe, got from the lasso, turned Terry into a card and started to running away from the blond man.

"No way... How? Dr. Owen?"

Before Reese could find an answer to that mystery, Aki and Spike came to her and helped her to stand up.

"How are you, Reese?" Aki asked her. "Fine, she didn't hurt me... She was-"

 **"Me?"** Zepar's voice sounded behind them, then completely disappeared.

"I'm really glad to see you, but how did you get here?" Reese wondered. "It's a long story," Dr. Taylor replied, "what happened to you?" "It's a long story."

Sarah walked to them, nuzzling Reese. "Heh, thank you, Sarah," Reese said as she turned Sarah into a chibi form. The Saurolophus jumped into Reese's arms and licked her face.

"You have your own dinosaur, that's unfair," Dr. Taylor said. "Anyway, Zoe and the others are in the hospital, waiting for me. Please, don't mention this in front of them, okay?"

* * *

 **Hospital**

"Reese hates us both for acting like enemies... So, can we be allies?" Zander asked Zoe, giving her his hand. "No... Friends," Zoe replied, shaking his hand.

Approaching them, Reese couldn't believe her eyes. The reaction of Sue, Max, Rex, and Kyra was the same.

"What are you doing here?" Max asked his parents. Before they could answer, both Zoe and Zander hugged Reese, making her blush. "We're so so sorry we acted like that," they said as one, "please, can you forgive us?" "You know I don't forgive," Reese chuckled, "so, you finally stopped fighting." "Of course, for you," Zoe said. "Anything for you, my angel," Zander replied, "and what about you two?" He looked at his sister and then back at his girlfriend. "Well..." Neither of them wanted him to know.

"You saved me, so," Ursula whispered to Reese. "No enemies," Reese quiet said. Ursula just nodded.

"Tell me, you four, why couldn't this happen from the beginning?" Kyra wondered. "Maybe because of that sibling love you mentioned earlier, Kyra," Sue suggested. "Aww. That's adorable."

"Not again, Kyra." Reese sighed.

"Is that all or did anyone come with you?" Rex asked. "Cruz and the owners are looking for the rest," Dr. Owen replied. "Great... We've got the hell whole crew," Sue commented. "Oh, not more brats," Ursula whispered. "What did I tell you?" Reese asked her. "Grr..."

"What exactly is happening here?" Dr. Taylor wondered. "It's complicated," Max laughed, "it's better to explain it when we'll meet the others." "Agree... I bet... Cruz went to find rather... Dark or Laura..." Reese said, her voice was slowly breaking, she looked much paler.

"Reese? Are you okay?" Aki wondered. "Y-yes... Sure... I just... I..." Reese collapsed into Zander's arms. "Reese!" "I'm fine..."

"Fine, maybe, but you're bleeding," Ursula noticed. "Bleeding?!" They saw it. There was a red spot on the bandage around Reese's head. "Huh...? That... That's nothing..."

"Nothing?" Kyra squeaked, "no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no." "Did you end?" Sue murmured. "No!" Kyra continued, "Ree you can't underrate this, you hit your head. This isn't the first time I see this. I'll gladly patch it for you." "With your shaky hands? No way," Reese disagreed. "I don't think that would be needed, I have a better idea," Zoe said, holding **Nature's blessing** move card. Reese smiled in relief.

* * *

Walking outside, Zoe summoned Paris into a full form. Zander was holding Reese, she closed her eyes and waited. "How can we know it will work and you won't hurt Zander?" Ursula wondered. "Because first, they agreed a few minutes ago to be friends," Sue snapped, "second, Zoe would _never_ risk something like that, especially when it would hurt Reese, and third-" "It worked in the Akuno," Zoe finished, "why wouldn't it work this time?"

She swiped the move card. In the next second, Reese felt much better, the bleeding stopped. Zander wrapped his arms around her shoulders and asked: "How are you?" "Great." Paris came to her and nuzzled her. "Thank you."

Zoe turned her Parasaurolophus into a chibi form, Paris ran to Sarah to play with her.

"Did it at least heal your wounds?" Reese quietly asked Zander. "Yes, it did," he replied and kissed her cheek.

"Aww! Romance just blooms around here," Kyra cheered.

"Did you hear that, my dear Ursula?!" Dr. Owen wondered, "that's a sign we should get together!" He started chasing the Alpha gang member again. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" Ursula ran as fast as she could. "Oh, dad..." Rex sighed and facepalmed in embarrassment.

"Zan, what did I tell you? Not in front of my little sister," Reese reminded. "I don't care." He kissed her again, making her blush. "Aww~ No fair~ I wanna kiss you too~"

"KYRA, NO!"

* * *

 **Alpha gang base**

Once the group entered, they heard someone arguing, they didn't expect less. Following the noise, they met the rest of the group.

The twins were fighting. "Oh, hell no..."

"Let me at him!" Alice yelled, Justin was trying to hold her back, but Cole was the one really holding her to not let her kill Nicolas.

"Holy dino, you too?" Cole said as he saw the guardians, he came to them and unfortunately for Nicolas let go of Alice. She was ready to punch him when Rex grabbed her hoodie and stopped her. "That was a close one..." "I'm not going to thank you, you know," Nicolas growled. "I'm not expecting more," Rex replied. Alice slightly blushed.

"How come every time a conflict stops, the other starts here?" Max wondered.

"It's nice to see you alive, guys," Andy admitted, "and in the time you're supposed to be in, not like the last time." "Hey, that wasn't my fault!" Alice snapped. "This time we were 2 months off," Cole said.

"Anyway, what happened that you're here?" Rex asked. "When we found out you went to the future we headed to the D-lab," Sabi started explaining. "Well, since they were trying to contact you, but were unsuccessful, we decided to go after you," Niki continued. "No, _I_ decided," Cruz corrected her, "I told you to stay there. Ronwe had a little bit of her power to get us here."

"I'm hell curious how did you find out," Sue said, glaring at her cousin. "Don't look at me!" Ema snapped, "I didn't tell them." "I'm more curious how come they weren't able to contact us," Dengyo admitted. "We didn't have access to that," Aki remembered. "You should get better in answering for the next time," Dr. Owen told Dr. Taylor. "I guess..."

"No answer there was wrong," Reese said, "I made those questions to know who exactly wants to get to that. There's one for you, Kyra, Justin, Zoe, Max, and Rex." "That's sooo cool!" Kenji said. "What else did you expect?" Justin wondered.

"Hey! Can we go home now?!" Nicolas growled.

"I already asked and they have some reasons why not," Ursula, standing as far away from Dr. Owen as she could, said, she was obviously bored. "No one forces you to be here," Reese told her. "Great..." Ursula headed away. "Why does she still have that bad mood?" Zander wondered, "angel, you're a girl, don't you know what can be wrong with her?" "How can I know what's going through your sister's head, Zan? I don't even know what's my sis thinking."

"Because you are the best and smartest, my angel," he complimented Reese, hugged her shoulders and kissed her.

"Ugh... I'm outta here!" Nicolas walked away as well. "Grr... Idiot."

"Then why can't we go home?" Ema wondered. "Sister does not have enough crystal energy to take us home," Justin explained, "opening the time rift or if you prefer the time warp takes more than 50 % of her energy, more than a crystal move takes. In addition, that whatever it was... It took 30 % of her energy, not only that but-" "Um... Justin?" "Yes, sister?" Justin turned to his sister, Kyra was hugging her tightly, worrying about her.

"Justin, I think you kinda stressed Kyra out," Alice commented.

"Is that all?" Sabi asked. "No..." Dark replied, "the dinosaur cards that were in the Akuno... were stolen again... and taken here..." "There is someone who is still part of the Akuno that got the cards into this time period," Kenji said. "That's at least what we think," Rex joined, "also, all the dinosaurs are much stronger than ever before." "We had to attack twice with a fusion move to take down Feray," Max said.

"And that isn't the real reason why we can't go yet," Zoe mumbled. "What do you mean?" Dr. Taylor wondered. "There's more? What were you doing here without us?!" Andy snapped. "That's what you should ask Little Genius," Sue commented.

Everyone turned to Reese. "...I was here 2 months before the others," she started explaining, "there was no way for me to go back home, so, I stayed with the only people I know here. In short version..." She took Zander's hand, smiling. "Zander and I got together, I went on an operation to heal all of my injuries and now... We're going to have a baby."

"What?!"

"Why does everyone react the same?" she chuckled.

"I knew there was something up," Aki laughed and hugged Reese, "congratulations!" "Uh... Y-yeah... T-too," Dr. Owen nervously said. "Thank you."

Spike just stared at his assistant in disbelief. "Um... Doctor?" He still stared. Then Reese realized it, he knows what that means.

"Yes, I am staying here, no matter what you say," Reese confirmed.

"Are you serious?" Ema wondered. "You can't just stay," Andy said. "Can't it change our future?" Sabi wondered. "I guess you on the other can't go to the present, am I right?" Cruz asked Zander. "There's something I can't leave behind," he replied.

Reese felt like he grabbed her hand tighter, he was talking about Ellie.

"Well, we have no rights to tear true love apart," Niki said, "but I actually thought you'd end up with Kyra, Reese." "Ah, no way!" Cole rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, there's something I need to talk to you, just you, Dr. Taylor, Dr. Owen, Aki, Cruz, and the Alpha gang too if it's possible, Zan."

* * *

They all gathered in a different room. Even Rod and Laura wanted to join.

"Forget about that," their grandpa snapped at them. "Why won't you let us?" Rod wondered. "This isn't a talk for kids," Ursula joined. Laura coughed and into her teenage, into her form known as Kami Ike. "I don't know if you've noticed, but we are the oldest in this room," she reminded, "I'm not a kid anymore, I'm 116 years old." "It would be better for them to hear it too," Reese said. "Fine!"

"Then what is it, Reese?"

"...Zepar is still alive..."

* * *

 _ **Reese's song reply belongs to TheCrazyRavenclaw.**_


	11. You're still my sister

Rod, Laura, and Ed were shocked, didn't want to believe that. "How can we know that's true?!" Dr. Z rudely asked, "she's a liar!" "Why would she made that up?" Dr. Taylor wondered. "I don't know!" "Then don't try to fight when you don't have arguments," Dr. Owen told Dr. Z.

"You don't have to believe me, but maybe you would like to know that Zepar used two of you stooges within one day!"

That took almost everyone's breath away. "You can't mean..." More couldn't come out of Rod's mouth. He noticed that Ursula and Zander were the only ones who weren't surprised. "How? Did she control them?" Laura asked Reese, the scientist only nodded. "Which method did she used this time? Wiping off the memories? The cosmos stone?" "Neither of that," Reese replied, "it was the same as she controlled me."

"So, you betrayed me!" Dr. Z turned to the two. "No!" "Doctor, we would never do that! It was... I couldn't do anything. She somehow entered my body and I couldn't," Ursula tried to explain. "The same applies to me," Zander joined, "she made me her puppet. And... I almost... hurt my angel..." He looked down in guilty. "It wasn't your fault," Reese told them, "it was mine..." "How come it was your fault?" Ed wondered, "she used them."

"But Zepar is after me... She maybe wants all of us dead, but I am first. I betrayed her and because I survived, she's still here."

"Don't say that, my angel!"

Zander came to Reese, taking her hands.

"None of that is your fault!"

"No," Reese said and closed her eyes tightly, "I created the last crystal and gave Zepar power. I was meant to die in order to destroy her. If Zoe didn't heal me, everything would be better." "No! No, it wouldn't be!" Zander objected, "we wouldn't meet each other again, we wouldn't... We wouldn't have our treasure on the way."

"I know, but you wouldn't be all in danger. My death would simply stop all this madness. We just need to keep Zepar away from us for 7 months."

"And then what?!" he wondered, "are you going to leave your child forever by sacrificing yourself?! Reese, do you realize how will Gabriel or Parie or whatever name you want, feel, not knowing who their mother was?!"

Nobody interrupted their fight, the others were just watching.

"Then, say it was a young woman that made mistakes and only wanted to fix them."

"You said you don't want your child to grow up without me... Why should it grow up without you?!"

"ZANDER, I ALMOST STRANGLED ZOE BECAUSE OF ZEPAR!" Reese yelled, crying, finally opening her eyes, "I... I don't... I don't want my child, my friends and family to go through the same! It's the only way... I don't want to hurt my beloveds anymore! If you want Zepar to make you try to kill your siblings, then, as you wish!"

"Angel..."

"No, it doesn't matter what you say I won't change my mind!"

"No, no, I mean... Your eye." "My eye?" Reese wondered. "Your right eye is completely dark..."

"No, no... No!" she cried, backing off, covering her mouth, trembling like crazy. "Reese?" "Don't."

"I've seen that eye before," Rod said. "T-that's Zepar's," Laura realized, her eyes widen, "she's still..."

"She never left..." Reese murmured through her hand, "all this time... She's been with me. It's my fault, it's all my fault!" "Angel, don't say that-"

"STAY BACK! I don't want to hurt you... Any of you..."

"Grr! Just get that dirty liar and traitor!" Dr. Z snapped. "Don't call her like that!" literally everyone replied.

Sarah came to her partner, worried, she nuzzled Reese's leg to calm her down.

"I'm sorry, everyone... But my death is the only solution..." Before anyone could say anything, a smoke appeared in front of Reese, materializing into _her._

 **"You finally made my creator hide in a corner like a coward she is!"** Everyone stared at her, the evil herself. Zepar turned to Reese, grabbing her wrist. **"Oh, my sweet little marionette, I missed this scared and desperate face. You are still just causing troubles."**

"Get away from her!" Zander shouted at Zepar, he was about to punch her but teleported behind him. **"That's too predictable."**

No one could do anything, the devil had control.

 **"Despite you being useless, marionette, that whole incident made me realize my mistakes, I learned something. The most important thing was that my illusions aren't actually stable, but I improved myself, heh... And since they beat you up."** Zepar turned to Cruz. **"I think they are perfect and they can finally touch living beings."** "You can't mean..." Cruz growled. **"Your parents? Yes, I can. They died a long time ago."**

"You-!" Cruz and River were ready to attack her, but Laura and Tank held them. "You brought back two worst people! I wouldn't mind if they'd beat only me, but they hurt Wendy and almost Bel!" "Cruz, no! This isn't worth it," Laura told him.

 **"Whahah! Oh, little princess, you'd maybe like to know that they caused more than that. The guardians didn't tell you yet. The guardian of space and fire was shot by the guy you told her to forgive. The same man that killed her father."**

"Zak...? No... Not her! Why did you do that to her?!" **"Whahaha. Whahahaha!"** Zepar only laughed. A whip materialized in Laura's hand. Before she could hit Zepar, the queen's body changed into a dark-haired man. Laura stopped. "Haru Shiraki...?"

 **"I know your weaknesses."**

"That's enough!" Dr. Z snapped, "now you'll pay for what you did to my grandchildren! Alpha gang, attack!" The A-trio took out their Alpha scanners, ready to summon their dinosaurs in battle forms. Terry, Spiny, and Tank seemed ready as well, but they all were stopped by Laura's face. Zepar changed into her.

 **"This is easier than I thought. I've got you all wrapped around my finger."**

"Not all yet," Dr. Taylor objected, protecting his wife. Zepar turned to the rest of the room. **"Guardians, I almost forgot about you."**

With those words, Zepar turned into someone they know very well, Max.

"Zepar, stop!" Reese said once she noticed Spike's and Aki's expressions. **"Why would I do that? I won't let you do that. You are part of the team, my friend, my family. I can't let you! We'll find another way to stop Zepar, I promise. Do you remember, creator?"**

"You're just a snake!" Dr. Owen told Zepar. **"Maybe I am."** She changed her appearance to Rex's. **"But it's really fun. We will help you. You don't have to do this. Zepar must have a weakness and we will figure it out."**

"D-don't say that..." Reese mumbled. **"Why?"**

Zepar turned into Zoe. **"Reese! Do you remember when we were kids? The fun we had? I want it to happen again. I don't want to lose you, sis! We're all in this together, we won't leave you. We will fight against Zepar together."**

"Stop this, you monster!"

 **"Monster? I'm not the one who turned into one."** Zepar changed her body into Reese's with those dark marks on it.

"You-" Aki immediately stopped Reese, holding her away from Zepar. "No. Not anymore!" Reese's eye turned back to purple.

Suddenly, the door opened and the traitor watched by a droid entered. Zepar made herself look like usually, looking at him. **"Seth, the one who destroyed me the first time with my sister, if I'm not mistaking."**

She wanted to kill him, but a light appeared between them, forming into Ronwe Grey.

Everyone except the sisters froze, literally, they couldn't move.

 **"Zepar... Please... Stop..."**

 **"No, Ron, I won't! I will kill them! I will kill those who took my powers away! And then I'm going to get rid of the whole humanity!"**

 **"Why... Would you do that... Zepar...?"**

 **"Because humankind is the worst, the most disgusting one! Revengeful, jealous, hateful, selfish! Not like the rest. Only humans murder each other for no reason! Not because they're scared, not because they're hungry! Wars! Genocides! For no reason!"**

 **"Why are you so evil...?"**

 **"You know the best that I'm not! Not because I want to. We're the same as our creations. We both adopt behaviors of the kinds we created!"**

 **"Zepar... You destroyed one whole kind..."**

 **"You had this whole planet and I had _that one._ Four of them maybe gave me my power, but because they wanted to rule it, I had to end them."**

 **"For no reason..."**

 **"You created everything on this planet up until the dinosaurs! I was supposed to have this! I caused their extinction to give a chance to my creations, not yours! But my creations, humans turned into monsters!"**

 **"But that doesn't give you right to do this... I would like to talk to you more, sister, but... I'm losing..."**

Ronwe disappeared in a bright light. Zepar turned to Reese.

Everyone could move.

Zepar whispered something to Reese and disappeared in a smoke.

Reese's eyes widen in horror, she was shaking, her down lip trembling, skin paler and paler. She covered her mouth and ran out of the room.

"Reese!"

Aki that heard what Zepar said followed her.

Reese entered the nearest bathroom and threw up again.

When she finally came out after more than ten minutes, she saw Aki waiting for her. "Reese, are you feeling okay?" Reese answered her by shaking her head and crying. She ran into Aki's arms, crying even more. The last time this happened, Reese was just 14, refusing to be a guardian because of her first encounter with Zepar.

"Aki, she... Zepar said that she's bored of not having any servants, so, she's going to get either me or my... Or my child!" "I know..." Aki patted her back.

"I... I can't! She... I know what she can do... I can't let her do that! Don't tell anyone, please... I don't want Zander to know or see me cry..."

"Alright... Let's go, others must be worried."

Reese didn't answer. "We can talk about it later, okay?" Aki said.

Reese wiped her tears and put on her poker face. "Right."

They came back into the room. "Angel! Are you alright?" Zander went to her. "I'm fine," Reese replied coldly. She kneed down and picked Sarah up. Once she straightened up, her now emotionless face met with Zander's worried one. She walked past him without any word.

"Angel..."

"Leave me alone."

She left the room.

Zander just stared sadly at the door.

"I don't think I ever saw her so cold," Dr. Taylor admitted. "Give her some time," Aki said, "it isn't easy for her. I'm going to talk to her." "I'll go with you," Laura, still in her Kami form, said, "I was in the same situation as her, teased by Zepar and pregnant at the same time." "WHAAA!?" That reaction annoyed her so much. "116!" she reminded them, then she looked at Zander, "she will be fine." "I hope so."

He wasn't the only one who looked upset. Rod noticed Cruz's angry glare. "What's wrong?" Cruz grabbed his cross necklace. "The one I believed in turned out to be the one who used me! But that isn't our problem now. We shouldn't tell the others about this."

* * *

 **Downtown outside the café, later**

"Then what do you two want?" Reese asked Aki and Kami when they got their drinks. "To cheer you up a little," Kami replied. Reese said nothing. "Reese, we're here to help you and encourage you," Aki said.

"Thanks... I'm glad you want to help me, but I'd rather have two different people with me to encourage me..." "I know."

"Uh oh..." Kami whispered, noticing a blond pregnant woman walking to them. "You've gotta be kidding me... She's..."

"Good morning, everyone."

"Ellie? You're-" "Yes, I am... Oh, yeah, I'm Ellie Komatsu, nice to meet you." "Aki Taylor, nice to meet you too."

The blonde then turned to Reese. "Are you feeling better than earlier this morning?" she asked her. "Yes," Reese replied. "How do you-" "We hanged out for a while today," Ellie answered on Kami's interrupted question. "You can't be serious right now..." Kami commented, "girlfriend and ex-girlfriend of one guy, both carrying his children, are hanging out together? This is the first I see this."

"I don't take Ellie as a love rival or something and it was her idea to meet up," Reese said, "you can join if you want to." Ellie smiled and sat next to Reese.

"I know that face, you're insecure, huh?" Ellie wondered, "what happened?" "I don't want to talk about it." "I hope you didn't hurt Zander in any way," she told Reese, "he was pretty heartbroken when I broke up with him." "... I didn't mean to yell at him... I lost my nerves... I know he doesn't want to lose me, neither I, but I can't face that again..." Reese couldn't hold her tears. "S-sorry... I didn't mean to!" Ellie apologized.

Reese took off her glasses and wiped off the tears. "No... It's fine. I shouldn't be so sentimental." When she put them back on, she saw Aki's and Kami's worried expressions.

"Don't say it like your feelings don't matter," Kami told her harshly. "Reese, your decision was completely understandable. You care about people around and if that's the only choice," Aki said. Despite the fact that they discussed it before, the fact that she knew that the real reason why Zepar's back is Kyra, not Reese, she didn't tell her. It was too late to say that.

"Hey, can I ask you something, Reese?" Ellie wondered. Reese nodded and let her talk. "How did he react?" Reese just stared for a while. Ellie continued asking: "What did he say when you told him?" "Well, he..."

* * *

 **A few weeks ago**

The last several days Reese felt dizzy and strange. When Laura suggested what could it be, she didn't believe it at first, but then that thought came to her every night. It drove her to that.

Now, she was sitting on her bed, looking at a positive pregnancy test and almost cried. She laughed a little. She needed to find him.

She was looking for him throughout the whole place, but she couldn't find him. Desperately walking almost hours, she saw him.

She immediately ran to him. "Zan, I finally found you! I must tell you something..."

"Reese, my angel! ...Is something wrong? Are you okay?" he asked her. "Yes... Yes, I am. I... I'm more than okay," she said, smiling, closing her eyes while holding a pregnancy test tightly. "Huh?" He noticed pregnancy test. "Isn't that a...?" He wanted to ask, but those words just didn't come out, it was too unbelievable.

"Y-yes... Yes, it is," she replied, "it... It is positive." He grabbed it to see for himself. "Positive? Positive... positive?! Positive! POSITIVE! REESE! IT'S POSITIVE! WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BABY, REESE!"

"Yes, we are. We... We're going to have... We're going to be parents. We're..." she murmured and hugged him tightly, "I'm so glad to have you by my side, Zander..." He hugged her back. "I'm so glad too! I love you, Reese."

"Please, say that again..."

"I love you, Reese." He kissed her cheek.

She blushed. "I can listen that all day... I... I love you too, Zander..." she sobbed into his chest. He continued hugging and kissing her, murmuring "I love you" over and over again.

She put his hand on her stomach. He was waiting, then he fainted. "Zander!"

He hit the ground, smiling.

"I couldn't wish a better man."

"Thank you. I'll make sure you and the baby are taken care of."

"Thank you..." She lied into his arms. "You will be a great father, I'm sure of it."

"I hope so."

"You will, I believe in you."

"You are definitely going to be the best mother."

* * *

 **Alpha gang base**

Zander was staring at the ground, thinking about her again. "Don't be so upset about that!" Ursula snapped at him, "if you just listened to me. She's just a little bitch-!" "DON'T CALL HER LIKE THAT!" he shouted, "she's my angel..." "How can you still keep up that nonsense?! She clearly wants to leave you! Why are you with her?!" "Because I love her!" Zander cried, "why can't you wish a happiness for me? Every time I was happy, you had to destroy it!"

"Because you have everything!" That was it. She finally said it. "You have a loving girlfriend! You have a baby on its way with both of them! I didn't even get my first kiss yet and you have this! Why can't I be happy?! I've been through so much! My parents abused me and beat me up! I deserve better life more than you two!"

"Ursula... I didn't even know..."

"No one knew that... And don't you dare to tell it to anyone!"

* * *

 **Downtown outside the café**

Reese was starting at the ground, thinking about him again.

"I thought he would be like that," Ellie chuckled, "he is a big softie. For as far as I know you, Reese, I even think he's an opposite. You are pretty cold and-" She stopped her speech once Reese glared at her. "Did I ask?" "Uh... S-sorry!"

Aki broke into a laughter. "Reese isn't really that cold, she just wants people to respect her." "Anyway," Reese said, rolling her eyes, "it appears that you are related to few of our friends, Ellie. With a surname like Komatsu and your brother acting very familiar, I guess Justin Ivan Komatsu." "Yeah, you're right," Ellie replied, "but Jeremy isn't my real brother. I was adopted by his parents when I was little. That's how I met Zander, we've been friends since we were in the orphanage, because my parents died."

"I'm sorry for that."

"No, it's okay. Thanks to my time I spent there I met him and found a nice family. Everything bad is good for something." A slight roar agreed, it was Sarah, lying on Reese's lap. Ellie noticed her. "He really gave her to you," she said, "he talked about you and how you two met all the time. Once he wanted me to help him fight one dinosaur and he gave me the other Saurolophus. Sorry... I shouldn't talk about it..."

Then they heard a roar, scream, and a strange sound. Reese immediately recognized two of those things. "No..." They stood up and turned to the source of the noise. "Zoe!"

The pink-haired and her Parasaurolophus ran from a dark-gray Ceratosaurus with light stripes.

"No... Not her... Laura! Take Aki and Ellie to safety!" Reese told Kami. "What about you?" Reese answered with a smirk and taking her scarf she had the plate pinned on. "We'll take care of this."

They obeyed her, while she ran to her sister. The Ceratosaurus was angry, different from the other dinosaurs, it was _her._

Zoe tripped and fell to the ground, dropping her stone plate. Paris wanted to protect her, but the Ceratosaurus swung its tail and threw her away. "Paris!"

The jaws were getting closer to Zoe, she couldn't stand up. Reese stood in front of her, stopping the Ceratosaurus.

"I'm not afraid of you!" she said, looking into its dark eyes.

"Reese?"

Sarah ran to Paris, helping her to stand up.

"Zoe, take Paris and run away."

"And leave you behind? No way!"

"Sarah and I will take care of this. Go!"

"Reese, no!"

"Zoe, do you believe me?" Reese asked. "Huh...? O-of course I do!" "Then go! I'll be fine."

Zoe obeyed her, she stood up, quickly went to Paris and picked her up and headed away.

"Sarah, ready?" The Saurolophus nodded. Reese put her fingers to the iron plate on her scarf, turning Sarah into a card that flew in her hand, then she ran it across the plate. "Dino slash! Saurolophus, sprout!" Summoning her to the battle.

While the fight was going on, Zoe tried to get away, but she heard a scream, she stopped. She turned back, seeing Reese lying on the ground facing the Ceratosaurus. Zoe wanted to do something, but partly not, her faith in Reese was bigger than worries about her, but she had to do something.

Zoe grabbed the stone plate and ran to her sister.

"Reese! Are you okay?"

"Zoe...? I said run!"

"A-are you hurt?" Zoe asked. "No," Reese replied, trying to stand up, "I'm okay. Both of us. But you should-" "I'll help you!" "What?" "I won't leave you, sis!"

The Ceratosaurus roared at them, ready to attack. "Zoe! Catch!" Reese threw her a little device and a green something. "That's..." Zoe murmured as she caught them. "Yes, a prototype of a Dino-slasher and your element booster. I think this is the best moment to test try them out," Reese said. Zoe nodded. Putting the stone plate inside the device, she pinned it on her belt. She turned Paris into the battle form.

Sarah knocked the Ceratosaurus down and Paris stomped on it. It roared, didn't feel pain. It grabbed Paris' tail, throwing her away. Then it turned against the sisters.

Reese stood up, trying to keep it away from Zoe. "Reese, no! It can hurt you!" "Don't worry... I won't let anything happen to you, I'm your big sister after all. I will protect you."

"Reese..." Zoe never thought she'd hear that. The Ceratosaurus was about to attack, Sarah shielded them with her body.

"Let's end this-" As Reese took a move card, she felt weird, like everything around her became silent and slow.

 _ **"Why are you even trying? Your sister doesn't want you to be happy, why should you protect her?"** That voice again... Reese couldn't do anything. Her body was shaking once she heard that voice. _

_"Shut up." She turned to Zoe. **"She wants to take it away from you."**_

 _"You know nothing."_

 _ **"You're happier here! It would be better if she was gone!"**_

 _"No! Don't you dare say that again! Now I see why I'm here. You wanted me to leave everyone I love, everything that happened was according to your plan, Zepar. I am not giving up. I will fight you, but I won't die. I'm not going to die in order for you to be defeated! Because they are my reason to live! I must protect them!"_

Snapping out of that daydream or whatever it was, Reese smirked.

Zoe looked at her confusedly. Reese was holding something green, an element booster just like she has. Zoe nodded taking hers.

"Element booster! Dino-tector, on!"

Zoe put it on her Dino-slasher and Reese on the iron plate, activating it. Paris and Sarah glowed in green light and a green leaf-looking armor was on them.

"Doesn't look bad," Reese admitted.

"They are an amazing duo," Kami, watching the sisters from the distance with the others, said.

"Alright, let's give it everything we've got!" Zoe said. "Right."

Paris and Sarah ran towards the Ceratosaurus, knocking it down. It still had strength. It stood up, grabbing them, swinging them around, throwing them away.

"Why are these dinosaurs stronger and stronger?" Reese asked herself, "they won't stand for long like that." "We can't lose..."

Their dinos had the same opinion, they stood up and headed to the Ceratosaurus.

"Reese? Do you still want to stay?" Zoe wondered. "What?!" Reese snapped, "do you seriously want to talk about it now?! I am not leaving!" Zoe slightly backed off, scared. Reese's eyes widen, realizing it. "I'm sorry... I won't bother you anymore. Once this battle is won, you won't see me ever again." "Sis..." Zoe was almost crying.

"You are still my sister no matter what," Reese surprisingly said, Zoe looked up at her, "I maybe don't show it sometimes, but I care about you." "You never really showed me... But... You still risked your life to find me," Zoe remembered. "Of course I did, you are my little sister, I am your guardian. Zoe, that I'm going to stay here doesn't mean I'll stop being your sister. Yeah, we won't see each other, but I know you can do well without me. You remind me of myself, you can take of yourself, I know you." "...Ree..."

Their dialog was interrupted by two dinosaurs roaring in agony. "Paris, no!" "Sarah! They can't take more."

 _"...Reese... You deserve to be happy..."_

Zoe slid her fingers across the Dino-slasher, materializing a green crystal. It glowed. "Together." Reese nodded, smiling at her. She took a move card she got from Dr. Z and swiped. " **Ultimate leaf**!" " **Thorn whip**!"

Getting hit by both of the attacks, the Ceratosaurus turned into a card, falling to the ground.

The sisters were smiling. They hugged each other, spinning around three times, laughing. "We did it!" Zoe cheered. "We did it together!"

Paris and Sarah headed to them. "Well, they did most of the work," Reese admitted. "But we worked together!"

Then they heard two voices. _"I finally see you happy, Reese."_ "Sarah..." Reese blushed. _"Zoe? Didn't you want to tell something to Reese?"_ Paris wondered. Zoe looked her, she didn't know what's going on. "Don't worry, we can hear them thanks to your Dino-slasher. I used translating function from the Dino-holders, Justin's idea. Now it works better than before, but this is still a prototype," Reese explained, "then what was it that you wanted to tell me?"

"...Reese, I'm going to miss you," Zoe said. "W-what...?"

"I give up. Please, stay here and be happy."

"Zoe, I'm sorry."

"But I'm going to stay here with you."

"What?! Zoe, you can't-" "Not forever," Zoe interrupted Reese, "but at least until the birth. I want to be a good aunt and sister." Reese smiled brighter. "You already are the best sister." She hugged. "I forgive you..."

"Reese, just be careful. And, Sarah, please take care of her." The Saurolophus nodded. "I know I'm going to leave you in good hands. Zander cares about you. We both have a great boyfriend that would do anything for us."

"Wait, you have what?" Reese wondered. "Well... You know, Max and I..." Zoe's cheeks turned red. "Him?! Zoe, you can't be serious!"


	12. Blood doesn't matter

A few weeks passed and everyone got used to their lives in the future.

One morning they all finally gather in the dining room, having breakfast, that Aki and Justin made.

Max, Chomp, and Reese ate more than a normal person would.

"How can all of that fit into you?" Andy asked them. "Where are they getting their appetite?"

"What?" Max murmured with his mouth full of food. "And I thought Ed eats a lot," Dr. Z commented.

Ursula reached for one of the plates, but someone pulled it away from her. "HEY!" It was Reese eating more than the others. "Grr! Zander, tell your girlfriend not to steal my food!" Ursula growled. Reese took another bite. Zander was just sitting scared and sad between them. He and Reese didn't really talk to each other since Zepar appeared.

"I don't think I've ever seen you eat so much, Reese," Zoe admitted. Reese stopped putting food into her mouth, staring at Zoe. "It's just because of that little one she carries," Aki assured everyone, "I was no different." "But we would like to eat too!" Cole objected. "If they're going to continue like this we'll have no food for ourselves," Andy said, "Aaron, leave something for me!"

"It's delicious," Rex said. "I've never eaten anything better," Dr. Owen agreed. "Thank you. Justin and I woke up sooner and made everything." "You're amazing," Spike whispered to his wife and kissed her cheek. "Leave it on later," their oldest son murmured.

"I am glad, I guess..." Justin blushed.

Seth finished eating, stood up and turned around, walking away. "Thank you, it was good." The watching droid and Ria now Nicolas' Crylophosaurus followed him.

"But why did you have to cook anyway?" Dengyo wondered, "didn't they have an android for that?" The whole Alpha gang became silent.

"Sorry."

"It's okay, Dengyo," Laura told him, "it's just that..." "There was an AI virus that badly damaged both Helga and Jonathan," Ed explained, "no one knew about that." "No way..." Max, Zoe, and the four guardians didn't want to believe that. Rex said nothing, he didn't feel good about all of that, he was one of a few people who last saw them.

"Them...?" Dark realized, "no way... If... If I'd stop Drack when we were here, they would be okay... L-Lo Siento! I watched Drack destroying them... And I did nothing..." "It isn't your fault," Rod said. "Si, like I know Drack, it wouldn't stop him," Cruz joined, "once he gets something on his mind, there's no stopping him."

Sue just smirked at Zoe, it reminded her of her best friend.

"Having androids as friends... So cool! It's like from some anime!" Kenji fanboyed. "Well, why are you guys so sad about that? They were just robots," Niki said. "It doesn't matter what form they hold, they are still friends!" Nicolas snapped, standing up. Alice almost choked by the food she ate in the surprise of what her twin said. He just rolled his eyes and left.

"Alice, you okay?"

"Yeah... I just-This was the nicest thing I've ever heard him say," Alice admitted. "He's maybe acting like an asshole, but that doesn't mean he's a bad friend or doesn't have a heart," Andy said. "I have my doubts there," Sabi commented. "Well, he isn't that bad," Niki joined. "What?!"

"Should I remind you what happened before we got here?" Ema wondered, "why _that_ ignorant?!" "Well..." Niki slightly blushed. "He crossed the line, Niki! How can you forgive him?!" Sabi asked her. "Well, when you care about and love someone you forgive them anything even if it takes some time," Niki explained.

Everyone looked at her.

"Oh, that's so adorable!" "Kyra, calm down..." Justin sighed.

Alice and Rex looked at each other blushing. Zoe turned to Max, Andy to Sabi, Sue to Zoe, Kenji to Dark, Cole to Kyra, and Reese to Zander who did like he isn't there, then they turned back, except for Alice, Rex, and Zoe.

"Wait..." Niki noticed their expressions. "So, are you guys dating?" she questioned. "WHAA?!" Alice and Rex blushed more. "Uh-eh-W-well..." Rex stuttered. Alice covered her red face in her hoodie.

 _"Don't be like an ice-cream in summer,"_ Tashi told Alice. Only Dengyo and Alice could hear the Pachycephalosaurus thanks to the Dino-slasher, only the ones who summons the dinosaur of the certain element can hear dinosaurs of that element.

 _"Where did you get that comparison anyway?"_ Alice thought, glaring at Tashi.

"So, the book I gave you worked! I'm so glad for you, son!" Dr. Owen cheered. Rex just face-palmed himself. "He... He didn't need anything like that," Alice murmured, smiling at Rex.

"I wanna date someone," Sue jealously mumbled.

 _"I don't think I've ever seen you so red, buddy,"_ Ace laughed. Cruz grinned over that comment.

 _"Cruz, I know this is a happy moment, but you should tell your sister about your parents,"_ River suggested. "Amigo..."

"Alright, I gotta say, this is much better than what we have at home," Ema admitted, "and father said that he has the best cooks in the town, ha!" "Wow, if not even the great mayor Wada doesn't have such great food that's amazing," Cole joked. "You shouldn't spend so much time with Sue," Reese commented, taking one of many bites.

"I didn't even know you can cook so well, Justin," Sabi said, "if I'd forget about the 'Girls' rules'-" "Can you stop with those?" Andy, Kenji, and Dengyo wondered. "No. Anyway, forgetting those, I think you would be perfect for Ema." "Hey!" "Oh, well, I know where you're heading with that," Niki giggled. "It was an accident..." Ema murmured. "You mean... h..w she almo... set our school...fire during the cooking lesson?" Max asked with his mouth filled with food. "Accident..."

"The biggest irony is that you're the owner of water crystal, cousin," Sue laughed. "Hey! I'm not the one who tried to set our town in the fire!" Ema objected. "Uh... Accident...?" Sue put on her 'oops' face, the A-trio did the same, hoping that no one will bring up the fact that they also tried to set their town in a fire.

"Hah! Don't worry, we're used to burning and exploding stuff," Laura said. "That's right," Rod agreed, "when I came back with Laura there was practically nothing to touch without an explosion." "Eeh! You could have said that before!" Justin squeaked with a girly voice, "we are in danger!"

"What are you two saying?" Dr. Z wondered. "Well, doc, you've noticed that all of your inventions sooner or later explode, right?" Ursula said, "mostly when we are on the board." "Nothing like that happened last two months!" Dr. Z snapped. Ed looked at Reese, realizing the reason why. She smirked, drinking her tea.

"Cruz, is something wrong?" Dengyo wondered, "since you all got here, I have a feeling like you're hiding something, all of you." Cruz didn't answer. "Cruz, do you want to lie? Tell me where did you get those injuries before."

"Alright, if you want to know that, then... Makutos, they are back." As he said that Dark's eyes filled with tears and widen in fear. "No..." "Um... Dark?" Kenji turned to her. "Lo Siento, Damita."

"NO!" Dark screamed and ran away. "Dark!" Kenji followed her.

An anger ran through Sabi's veins, she stood up and snapped at Cruz: "Why?! Why did you tell her?!" "Was I supposed to lie to her?"

"Lying would still be better than reminding her of _them_! Cruz, did you forget what they did to her?!"

"No!" Cruz yelled at her standing up as well, "I watched her being tortured! I can never forget about that!"

"Then why did you tell her?! She wakes up every night because of her nightmares and memories of them! Do you even know how painful is watching her like that? Why do you hurt her like that?!"

"You have no right to say anything! I am more her family than you are! I am her real family, you just adopted her!"

Hearing Cruz's words everyone just stared, but it seemed to effect Rex, Dr. Owen, and the Alpha Gang.

"I go after her," Sabi said calmly, "she needs me right now." She and Star left.

Everyone was completely silent.

"Well, I go too," Niki said. "Me too, Sabi needs to be calmed down," Andy admitted. They both with Stegi and Aaron left too.

"...Lo Siento, amigo," Cruz apologized when he noticed Rex's expression. He and River walked away.

 _"You screwed up, Den,"_ Shadow the Lufengosaurus told Dengyo. "You are right, Shadow. This is my fault," he admitted, heading out with Shadow. Ema looked at Ellen the Ampelosaurus. _"They all need to cheer up..."_ Ema walked behind them.

"Great~" Alice sarcastically murmured.

"Tch." Ursula stood up from the table, walking away as well. The Alpha gang was just watching her, thinking that it's another of her moods. Zander turned to his brother. "Maybe we should talk to her," he suggested. "Are you crazy?" Ed wondered, "she's gonna beat us..." "So what?" "Okay..." They followed her.

"And it looked so great..." Kyra sighed. "One day without any fights, never mind..."

* * *

Dark was crying in a corner, scared.

"Dark!" Kenji rushed to her. "A-are y-you okay?" Dark just shook her head. "C'mon, Dark," Kenji put out his camera, "smile for the camera!" Dark immediately covered it, standing up.

"Dark!" Sabi ran to her adoptive sister, hugging her. "Is everything-" "No! L-lo Siento... Hermana..." "Dark..."

"Well, you okay?" Niki walking to them with Stegi, Andy, Aaron, and Star wondered. Dark said nothing. "Hey, it will be fine," Andy tried to assure her. "No... It won't... It won't!"

Dark wanted to run away, she had to, they are after her. She was shaking, couldn't breathe.

 _The evil is after her, it hurts, it hurts... Stop... Stop. STOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!_

* * *

Everyone finished eating, except for Max, Chomp, and Reese, they kept eating, making the others grin.

"Isn't this a world record?" Cole wondered.

"Rex, you okay?" Alice asked. "What?" Rex turned to her. "Yes. I'm not bothered by what Cruz said. I realized long ago that a true family isn't considered by blood or papers." His friends looked at him. Alice just smiled.

* * *

"Ursula, wait!" The men called at their sister, making her stop. "What?!" She turned around, hatefully glaring at them.

"What's wrong?" Ed wondered. "Nothing." "Maybe talking about it will help you," Zander suggested, "Reese had similar outbursts after they 'defeated' Zepar." "DON'T COMPARE ME TO HER!" "But you are pretty similar."

"SHUT UP! I don't need to hear any worthless speeches!"

* * *

A black aura surrounded Dark.

"Dark?!"

Two black bloody wings came out of her back, she was screaming. She turned to the others, her eyes completely dark.

"Dark...?"

"I will make you pay," she said with a sharp voice. "Dark, what the-" They only stared at her. Dark reached her hand to them, shooting a black beam at Sabi. Andy grabbed her arm, dragging her out of the way.

The beam made a hole in the floor where Sabi stood before.

"Dark... Why did you do that?!" Andy wondered. "Stop it!" Cruz ran between Dark and the rest. Dengyo, Shadow, Ema, Ellen, and River came to the room, confused.

"I never thought you would take over her," Cruz told Dark. She smirked. "Cruz, we haven't seen each other in a while." "Let my sister be!" he shouted. "No. She is the perfect suit for me, just like you've been. The side effect of my power still works, those dark eyes, you are blinded by bad memories, you can't forget them. Now, if you excuse me I'll destroy you and everyone else who helped killer of my mother!"

"What did she just say?" Ema asked.

Dark was about to shoot another beam at Cruz, River rush in front of his partner.

"Aaron, let's stop this," Andy told his Coelophysis, turning him into a battle form. Aaron ran to stop Dark, attacking her.

"Andy, no!" Sabi yelled at him, punching him. "Hey!" "You're going to hurt her!"

 _"Aaron, stop it!"_ Star said, _"Sabi's right. I know you don't want to hurt anyone." "Star..."_ Aaron didn't move. Several arrows appeared around Dark, flying at Aaron, hitting him. He roared in agony. "Aaron!"

"Dark, please, listen!" Kenji begged, "you aren't evil." "So, don't hurt your friends," Niki joined.

"Everyone who helped the evil must pay."

* * *

Max, Chomp, and Reese were still eating, slowly getting the rest of the food on the table into them.

"No seriously... This is not possible!" Sue cried in irritation with a higher voice. Alice laughed. "That was a great Justin impression." "It was exactly like Ivi," Kyra agreed. "Very funny, sisters," Justin said.

* * *

"What happened? We used to tell everything to each other," Ed reminded them. "That was more than twenty years ago!" Ursula objected. "But still," Zander said.

"Tch. You aren't my real family anyway, so what! ...But you were the only ones who cared... I just want to talk to that brat with a scar, okay?! She went through the same so-"

She showed them her back when she realized she said that. "Wait, you've been-" "I don't want to talk about that!" she snapped at Ed, hitting both of them.

* * *

 _"Everyone who helped the evil...?"_ Stegi repeated. _"What do you think that means?"_ Ellen wondered. "Evil..." Ema murmured, "I can only think of-" "Akuno!" Niki realized.

"That includes Cruz, Sabina-" "You?" Dark turned to Dengyo. _"We're screwed, Den,"_ Shadow said. Dark thought about how to attack him, when the Alpha Gang entered the room, surprisedly staring at the scene.

"Run!" Cruz shouted at them, knowing the angel of darkness is going to attack them.

Dark shot a black beam. Scared Ursula and Zander rushed on opposite sides, leaving Ed there. The beam was about to hit. "Ed!" He ducked, dodging the attack. The rest sighed in relief.

"Sabi, if we can't fight her, how do you expect us to stop her?" Andy asked. "I won't let you hurt her, she's my sister and our friend."

Dark flew to Sabi. She pushed Andy away from her. A black aura appeared around Dark's arms, creating a crawl. Niki ran in front of Sabi and got hit for her.

"Niki!" Her arm was bleeding, she dropped on the floor, her Dino-slasher fell off. "Why did you do that?" Sabi asked her. "You're my friend and I owe it to you..." Niki replied.

Dark was about to attack again.

"We must do something," Ema said. "I have an idea. Shadow!" Dengyo summoned his Lufengosaurus in full size. " **Mystic smoke**!" His Dino-slasher glowed in a greyish light. Shadow sent a smoke at Dark.

"Tell me, how different is it from **Throwing stars**?" Andy wondered. "First, it doesn't hurt the target, and second, it stays only around her for some time," Dengyo explained. "But she still can attack!" Ursula snapped. "She's going to hit you only if you keep on talking," Ema warned her. "Grr... Zander, Ed! Summon Terry and the others!" "Ursula, do you think it's the best idea?" Zander asked her. "Plus we don't even have our Alpha scanners," Ed added.

"Fighting won't solve anything," Niki whispered.

"No one will hurt Dark!" Sabi yelled, "I won't let anyone hurt my sister!" "She isn't your sister!" Cruz objected. "Oh, stop it!" Kenji growled.

The smoke got darker and darker. Dark was screaming in fear. "Dark! Dengyo, call Shadow back to stop **Mystic smoke**! You're scaring Dark! She's afraid of darkness!"

"D-dark...! Lit up! Please! LIGHT!" Dark cried. She shot arrows around, not aiming. "Get down!"

Everyone avoided all the arrows.

 _"Shadow! She's going crazy!"_ Ellen pointed out, _"that move needs to stop before she'll hurt someone."_ "Den, listen to Sabi," Ema said, "Dark can do something bad." He didn't listen.

"Dengyo... Please..."

"Fighting and hurting won't solve anything..." Niki murmured, she glowed with a purple light. Stegi turned into a card, flying into Niki's hand. "Friends shouldn't fight," as she said that the Stegosaurus appeared from the card.

"Soul summoning..." Sabi whispered.

Niki's Dino-slasher started to shine in the same purple light. Stegi used **Crystal break** on Shadow, turning him into a card. "Stegi, no! This isn't right!"

The smoke around Dark disappeared, she was ready to fight again.

 _"Niki, I know you don't want to hurt her, me neither, but-"_ "We must at least stop her movement, I know, Stegi."

The blonde picked up her Dino-slasher and took out a move card. "I'm sorry, Sabi and Dark."

"Niki/ _Stegi_ , don't you dare!" Sabi and Star yelled.

" **Spike arrows**!"

"NO!"

The Stegosaurus shot several spikes from his tail at Dark. She was flying from side to side dodging, but then two arrows hit her wings, pinning her to the wall.

"Dark!" Sabi, Star, and Kenji rushed to her. "Let me go."

"That's how you catch a fly," Dengyo chuckled. "Don't call her like that," Ema said.

"I will make everyone who helped the evil pay," the angel repeated.

"Who are you?" Cruz asked his sister. She didn't answer. "Who are you?!"

"I may know," Sabi said, "she said 'killer of her mother' and 'everyone who helped evil'. Only evil I can think of is Zepar and if I remember correctly the mother can only be Ronwe. This is Ronwe Grey's daughter." "Exactly," Dark agreed, "my name is Harc Grey. Now, let me destroy you." "Revenge isn't the way," Andy told her, "I went through something similar, but it isn't worth it."

"It is! Let me kill you, owners of stars, space, wind, and fire, guardian of darkness and stars, the creator, members of the Alpha gang!" With those words, they turned to the A-trio. "Hey, don't blame us!" Ursula snapped, "that so-called 'queen' took control of me and Zander!" "She's back?" Dengyo wondered. "We'll explain later," Cruz said, "for now keep it a secret."

"But they were under her control," Ema reminded Harc, "or they did it for someone. I know I was suspicions of them, but I know why they did what they did."

 _"Dark, please, we know you're in there!"_ Star called.

"Well, Harc, hurting those who unwillingly helped the evil doesn't make you better than Zepar is."

Harc noticed Niki's still bleeding arm. Her look full of guilty talked by itself. The black wings disappeared alongside with every damage the angle of darkness did, even Niki's injury. Dark fell on the floor, a black crystal next to her. Kenji ran to her. "Hey, you okay?" "Si..."

Stegi turned into a card, flying into Niki's hand.

"Damita... Dark, Lo... I'm sorry for telling you the truth," Cruz apologized. "It's okay... Hermano... I cannot just hide... for the rest of my life..." "You need to rest," Andy suggested. "No. Before that, I'm going to keep this." Cruz picked up the black crystal.

"Hey, you brat," Ursula said, addressing Dark, "I want to talk you." "Oh, you can forget about that!" Sabi snapped. "Hermana, it's alright..." "If you think so."

* * *

All of the food was gone, but they still didn't have enough, that's why Aki brought a cake. When she laid it on the table, Max and Reese gave it an adoring look. Max reached his hand to it, but Reese was faster and was already eating it.

"That's not fair!"

"You're too slow," Reese chuckled.

* * *

"What is it...?" Dark wondered when they were left alone. "...You were right."

"Huh...? With what?"

"I don't want to talk about my past, because I went through the same as you did," Ursula said. "You mean... They hurt you... Your real family..." She nodded. "Lo Siento..."

* * *

Cruz, River, Sabi, Star, Andy, and Aaron came back to the dining room. Staring at the table. "Did they seriously eat all of that?" Andy wondered. "Yes," everyone replied. "Do you know that gluttony is a sin?" Cruz asked Reese. "Cruz, I already am a sinner," Reese murmured, "do you think I care?" Cruz sighed, touching his cross necklace. "Good luck in hell."

"Cruz, sorry for bursting out like that," Sabi said. "Don't worry," Cruz told her, "it's understandable, you're her sister and you're more her family than I am. I never acted like her brother anyway... I was just a guardian, not even that. I wasn't there to protect even you." "That's not true. Cruz, you saved her life several times and you're always here for me, just like a brother would be."

They smiled at each other.

"What did we miss?"


	13. Don't go without me

**Alright, before you start reading I have some important stuff to say, I decided to take a break until the end of June. I've been pretty busy recently. Next, it's exactly one year since I published the first chapter of Dinosaur King Out of Time and Space, that's why there is an OoTaS related picture on my Deviantart mauselet, so, I'll be glad if you'd check it out.**

 **Fun fact: I put Max's birthday on today's date (2nd of June) in this fanfic, so, happy birthday, Max!**

 **Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter**

* * *

It was a dark night, almost everyone peacefully slept, except for one person.

Zander was sitting in front of Reese's room, encouraging himself to talk to her. After what she said to him, he wasn't sure, he was scared of what can happen to their relationship. No, he had faith in her.

His reassuring thoughts were interrupted by her sudden screams. He rushed into her room. "Reese!"

She was sleeping, moving from side to side. Sarah, sitting next to her, worriedly called. "Not another nightmare..."

Zander sat next to the bed, just like Sarah worriedly watching Reese, waiting for her to wake up. He didn't want to scare her.

It took a few minutes for Reese to open her eyes, screaming and crying. Her heart was racing, her whole body shivering.

"My angel, are you okay?" She squeaked in a surprise, sitting up. "S-sorry I didn't mean to-" She recognized that voice. "Zan?" She found her glasses and put them on, seeing her boyfriend clearly. "What are you doing here?" "I heard you sleep talking," he replied, "I was worried about you."

Reese wiped off her tears, doing like nothing happened. "You didn't have to, I'm okay."

"Please, don't lie to me," Zander asked her. "Sorry..." "Don't be afraid to show your emotions, don't keep everything inside you, please, for your own good." He was rubbing her cheeks. She turned away from him.

"Let me be."

"Angel..."

"Leave me alone!"

"No."

"What...?" She looked at him.

"I won't leave you in time of need. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I'd do that? Reese, my angel, I'm here for you-"

"No! I want you to stay away from me. Zepar's after me, you already stood between us and got badly hurt. I don't want that to happen again. I must protect everyone from her by mysel-" He put his finger to her lips.

"Shh..." He looked her in the eyes. Her down lip was trembling. They were silent. Tears ran down her face.

He wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back. "Let it all out."

"...I'm sorry... Zan, I had another nightmare..."

"It's okay."

"No... I-I'm afraid she's going to hurt our child..." she sobbed. "She's not." "She is... She told me she's going to get me or our child! She has no servants... She's going to hurt it, making it into what Drack and Mary were... I-I can't allow that... I can't... I don't want anyone to go through what I've been... This is my fault..." she sobbed. "No, it's not. I won't let anything bad happen to you two, I promise. You have my word."

She kissed him.

"I'm so glad you don't hide your tears anymore." He kissed her back.

"I-I didn't want to... make you worried," she said between other kisses.

"I feel much better... knowing you aren't emotionless."

"I kept my true emotions... away from everyone for nine years... else Zepar would use them against me."

"Were... any of your feelings... towards me... fake?"

"No... Only the negative ones... and there are none in your case..." They kept kissing for a long time

* * *

Next morning everything went almost the same as the last one when they were together, except this time they had fewer clothes.

After breakfast, Reese headed to communication room to finally try to call the rest of the guardians and ex-guardians.

Almost everyone was there. "Um, guys? What are you doing here?"

"We had the same idea, apparently," Sabi said. "I am not sure if this is going to work," Justin admitted. "It won't be a problem," Reese assured him, smiling, "I'll take care of everything." She seemed happier than usual, she wasn't hiding anymore.

"Ree, I finally noticed. You're less salty since you're not a virgin," Kyra laughed. Reese rushed to Zoe, blushing, covering her ears. "Kyra, no!" Zoe just sighed. Sue laughed.

"Overprotective much?" Ema wondered. "Well, you are too, in Otto's case," Niki said.

"Anyway, can I start the communication?" Reese asked. "Wait a sec, nerdy," Cole told her, "don't be bothered by that." "Cole." She glared at him. "Don't you dare call me that again."

Cole slightly backed off. _"OMG, I'm so dead. I'm so dead!"_

"Cole is right, Reese, we'll take care of it," Dr. Taylor said, "get some rest or something." He carefully pushed her out of the room. "But wait-Doctor!" He closed the door in front of her. She sighed. "What are you planning?" She rolled her eyes and walked away, Sarah followed her.

"I hope you actually prepared everything to contact them," Andy murmured. "I already did," Justin said, "but I still cannot get used to the technology." "That's why he asked us to help," Rod explained. "Then will it work or not?" Kenji wondered.

"Give me a sec," Laura said, pressing one button under a big screen. The screen lit up, showing the D-lab in the present time. "Just with one button?" Aki wondered. "You know, future." Laura shrugged. "That's sooo COOL!" Kenji cheered.

"Hey, it really works," a redhead on the other side said, walking to the screen, "nice to see you, everybody, you're okay." "Mom?!" the Komatsus said as one. "Oh, great, but I don't feel like repeating the 5th grade, teach," Sue commented. Her ex-home class teacher glared at her. "Susan, out of all of my students, I miss you the most on my lessons," Lucy admitted.

"They're okay?" Bel asked, coming to the screen, "Cruz!" "How are you doing, Mi Belleza?" Cruz asked her. Most of the group didn't understand, but part of them knew. Dark gave him a strange look, Aki smirked at him, and Wendy in the present pushed Bel and Lucy from the screen. "Did you really say that?!"

"What does that mean, Cruz?" Bel questioned. Wendy whispered something to Bel, making her blush. "Th-thanks, Cruz, I-I'm fine." The Spanish gave her a delightful smile.

"Wait," Rex realized it, "are you two dating?" "W-well, maybe?" Cruz murmured. _"Lair,"_ River said, turning to Rex and Ace, " _they are. They were about to go on a date." "Really?"_

"Yeah, amigo, I'm sorry I stole your girlfriend," Cruz laughed. "Well, she never was-" "Don't even joke about that, Makuto!" Alice yelled, her face red with anger. "Well, never make Alice jealous," Niki chuckled.

"Hey, hey, hey, Sora Shinori here!" The last person in the D-lab joined. "What the...?" "Sora, i-is Zak alright?" Laura immediately asked. "Sure, she went back to the hospital with Jeff," Sora explained. "Thank goodness, she at least for once listens to her head..." Dengyo sighed. "Wait a sec, Jeff?" Cole wondered, "that guy?!"

"Cole... That's not the reason why we called..." Dark reminded him. "Right, we can talk about it later," Sabi growled.

"Then what did you want?" Lucy wondered. "Can any of you guys go get something at my home?" Zoe asked them. "Why and what?" "A plushie Parasaurolophus." "That's that important thing you need as soon as possible?!" Max snapped. "Yes," Zoe replied, "I need it here." "How do you expect us to get it there?" Sora questioned. "That's where I step in," Alice said, "I keep having flashes of past, present, and future. Shortly, I've seen you in this time period. I can't see more, everything else is blurry, but if you'll keep that plushie, we'll get it someday."

"But why the plushie?" Wendy couldn't understand. "It's really important," Zoe kept saying. "You mean the plushie Reese almost killed me because of?" Sue remembered. Zoe nodded.

"Wait, Jessica?" Kyra wondered. Her Corythosaurus with the same name looked honored to have like something so important

* * *

Reese and Sarah headed to the D-lab.

It felt strange seeing it so destroyed. The last time Reese saw this it was attacked by dinosaurs of the Spectral Space Pirates when the Dark Pterosaurs was summoned before she created the last crystal. Now, the lab was cover with vines, also not for the first time.

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, it breaks my heart seeing a place I love like this. That's why I can't go find our house or graves of my beloved."

"You're talking to yourself, huh?" Someone came to them, it was Ellie. "If it's less weird than talking to a building, then yes. What are you doing here?"

"Walking." "So am I."

"Actually, since I see you here," Ellie began, "I want to thank you. You kinda saved us from that dino before." "It was no problem," Reese replied, heading inside. Sarah and Ellie followed her.

"And what exactly do you want here?" Ellie wondered, "haven't you heard that this place is haunted? The last person that came here never came back." "And that was when?" Reese curiously asked, unlike Ellie she wasn't scared or even believed that nonsense. "12 years ago, I guess. After the last owner died, this place became unwanted and feared. Nobody dared to come here."

"Wrong," Reese said, "Rex came here 8 years ago, at least 8 for you. And he's still alive. So, no supernatural stuff." "O-oh! Y-yeah... Y-you're r-right...!" Ellie nervously stuttered, the fake smile on her face didn't fool anyone. She was clearly shaking, watching the walls like there would something jump out of them in any minute. Sarah was quite brave, but still unconfident in the place like this.

"Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah! I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fi-AAAAH!" Ellie suddenly screamed when a little part of the ceiling fell down. "Maybe you should go back, Ellie," Reese suggested. "W-wha-why? I-I'm okay. N-not at all!" Reese stopped turning to Ellie, raising her eyebrow. Then she rolled her eyes while walking away.

"I'm really fine w-with this-Aah!" Ellie tripped over the parts of the ceiling that scared her. She almost fell to the ground, but Reese caught her. "T-thanks..." Reese just sighed. "Are you sure you don't have a little part of Komatsu's DNA?"

"I'm sorry..."

"Go back, it's dangerous here for you. This place is unstable."

"Okay..." Ellie stood up. "No... No, no, no! I won't hide. I'm going to face my fears."

"Ellie, no one took care of this place in 12 years, everything's falling apart. It's dangerous. But I don't even care. It's your choice."

Reese continued walking, Ellie annoyingly followed.

"Maybe that's why you and Zander broke up," Reese said, "you and I are completely different. For example, you're an extrovert and I'm introvert. I have a common sense-" Ellie stopped walking. "Actually, I broke up with him. When I found out I'm pregnant, I was scared, not like he would leave me or anything, he wouldn't do that, but I needed to face it first myself. I know how much he was sad, but-ugh, whatever! I'm just glad he has you, he's happy again. No, he's happier with you than he was with me."

Reese said nothing.

They headed to the main room. They didn't speak up until Reese tried to turn on the computer. It didn't work.

"What am I thinking?" Reese asked herself, "turn on the power first next time."

She and the others went down the stairs, heading to the power source under the lab. "How do you know-" "I've spent here a half of my life," Reese interrupted Ellie. "Oh, I see, it exists because of you!" "Not really. The building of it started when I was little. Dr. Taylor started it with his old assistant, but they had a serious fight. The assistant left and was never seen again. Here we are."

They entered a big dark room. Reese and Sarah walked down the stairs.

Ellie stayed up, there was a warm breath on her neck. She screamed, running to Reese. "What's it this time-" The scientist stopped her speech once she saw what scared her friend. A green raptor was staring at them. "Megaraptor... Mahin?"

"Hello there." A black-haired boy with a black cloak appeared next to the dinosaur.

"Drack?"

* * *

 **Alpha Gang base**

"Then back to that criminal," Cole said. "Wait, can Jeff really be that bad?" Kyra wondered. "You're kidding me, right?!" Cole snapped at her, that was the first time they've spoken to each other since they broke up, they turned on the other side.

"Well, I kind of agree with Kyra," Niki said. "Are you mad?!" Sabi asked her, "have you forgotten what he did?" "Well, I mean his surname is Miharu. He must be somehow related to Michael, like his older brother," Niki theorized. "That doesn't mean he's a good guy," Andy said, "good isn't in a blood. Look at Nicolas." "Or the dragon guy and ginger," Sue added. "You mean Drack and Mary?" Dengyo remanded. Sue nodded. "Plus Michael didn't have any siblings," Ema corrected. "Neither does Jeff," Wendy joined, "we've been together for 15 years and lived together for 10, I would know about something like that." "That he didn't mention his siblings doesn't mean he doesn't have them," Dr. Owen told her. She looked away like she knew what he was referring to, her eyes widen.

"But that accident happened shortly after Michael disappeared," Zoe remembered. "And the criminal was surely drunk," Cole realized. "He never got that drunk, that's true," Wendy agreed. "Why is that important?" Justin asked them. "Do you think he was drinking because his younger sibling went missing?" Max wondered. "Ree did the same," Kyra murmured sadly. "That's a weird deja vu," Kenji admitted.

Alice was just staring, holding her head again. "Are you okay?" Rex asked her. "Y-yeah..." "It's not getting better?" "No..." She shook her head. "It's still the same..."

"You should take a nap," he suggested.

"Oh, I was waiting for someone to say that," Alice mumbled, heading out of the room.

"Ugh!" Another vision flashed in front of her eyes.

 _Blood was everywhere, in the D-lab. There was a green scarf._

Alice's eyes widen. Reese! She's in danger. "This is bad..." Alice couldn't go back to the others, Zoe would very likely freak out. She must tell someone else. She quickly walked, looking for the Alpha Gang

* * *

 **D-lab**

"No. You're supposed to be dead!"

"So are you, guardian," Drack said. "Ellie, stay away. We'll take care of this. Dino slash! Saurolophus, sprout!" Reese turned Sarah in the card and then summoned her in the full size.

The Megaraptor jumped at the Saurolophus, scratching and biting her. Sarah tried to shake him off.

"Sarah, be careful, we don't have enough stable space for a big fight."

"You're saying it like it was a bad thing," Drack spoke up, "Hurricane beat."

Twin tornados converged on Sarah, lifting her up in the air. Megaraptor jumped up and kicked her in the face, then smashed her with the tail, throwing her at the wall near the girls, making rubble fall.

Ellie looked up at the falling pieces, she was paralyzed by her fear that she couldn't move. Reese quickly pushed her away, saving her from getting hit. "I told you it's dangerous."

"Sorry..."

* * *

 **Alpha Gang base**

"Alright, you three, another dinosaur appeared and you're going to get it this time!" Dr. Z told his gang. "Yes, doc!"

"Well, technically, since we're in the same boat with the brats, doesn't that mean when they get a card, we all get it?" Ed asked. "Plus Reese and I have gotten two cards," Zander added.

"Just take this one!"

"G... Guys...?" Alice came to the room, panting. "There is... A problem... A big problem..."

"Can't you say it slower?!" Ursula wondered, "what do you want, brat?!" "G-give me... A second... I was power walking here... Ha... R-Re..." Alice took a deep breath. "Reese is in danger!"

"No! What's going on? Where is she?!" Zander was desperately asking. "I had a vision a while ago and saw her scarf, blood, and D-lab." "That's where the dinosaur appeared, right?" Ed realized.

 _"A dinosaur! We're coming!"_ Tashi decided, looking up at Alice. She nodded. "We're going with you!" "Forget that, brat!" Ursula snapped, "you won't ruin our mission." Alice just stared at her. "From what I know from Rex and the rest you ruined most of your missions yourselves," she said.

"That girl is right! But this time you won't ruin anything!" Dr. Z yelled at the trio.

"It is near the D-lab!" Justin said as he, Karo the Dimetrodon, Kyra, Jessica the Corythosaurus, Cole, Mitch the Compsognathus, Dark, Rod, and Laura entered the room.

"And we heard everything," Rod told the rest in the room. "That's why we're going to help. If Ree's in danger, I can't just sit here," Kyra determinedly said. Cole rolled his eyes. "No way, it obviously is not safe," Justin stopped her.

"If it isn't safe for me then it's less safe for Ally!" Kyra said, hugging Alice's shoulders tightly. "When I promise you I won't go, will you let go of me?" Alice questioned her. "Maybe~" "Then let go of me!"

"But someone should look after those three," Laura said. "I'll do it," Cole decided, "someone must save our nerd." "Cole's right..." Dark agreed, "she's our friend and we're all doomed without her..." "Guess you have a point."

All this worthless talking and wasting time made his worries grow. She's in danger! Every muscle in his body was uncontrollably shaking not just in fear but anger too.

Zander decided to run to the hangar himself, saving her alone. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Ursula yelled at him. "Helping my girlfriend!" he replied while leaving the room. "Gr! Her again?!" Ursula barked. "We should follow him," Ed suggested, "I don't think he can make it himself." "Then c'mon!" Cole headed out, Terry, Spiny, and Tank followed him.

Ursula stood there, her arms crossed. Ed gave her a mad glare.

"What?!"

"Ursula, I know you hate Reese and you're mad at Zander, but try to find that last bit of a heart inside of you and go help at least your future nephew or niece. You already did this circus one time, hating Sally, being mad at Daniel, but when Rod and Laura were born you completely changed your mind!"

"You finally said something smart and useful, you know, Ed," Ursula told him. "Don't stand here and get me that card!" Dr. Z shouted as he threw two Alpha scanners at their heads.

Both Ursula and Ed walked quickly to the hangar. "Move your fat butt, Ed! Like you said, he needs us."

* * *

 **D-lab**

"Drack, how did you manage to survive?" Reese asked him while a fight of their dinosaurs continued, "Zepar would never let you live after you let Kyra and the others escape."

"Is it that important?" Drack asked too.

"Yes, it is," Reese replied, "because you aren't the real Drack."

"Of course I am. Who else would I be?"

"You cannot be Zepar's servant. She... You told me you have no servants, Zepar." As Reese said that Drack's young boyish body turned into taller older female one. His coal black hair greyed out and grew longer.

 **"You are right, as always. There's nothing I can hide from you."**

Zepar teleported to Reese, grabbing her throat. "Gh! Let me-" **"No way, José."**

"Reese!" Ellie screamed, backing off. Zepar looked at her. **"I'll use you later."** Ellie covered her eyes, silently sobbing.

"You-Gha!" Reese tried to struggle, but Zepar held her throat tighter and tighter. Reese lost even that last bit of air in her lungs, she was about to black out.

Suddenly something bit Zepar's hand, forcing her to let Reese go. Reese fell to the ground.

"Way to go, Mitch!"

"My angel!"

That couldn't be.

"Zan...?" Reese looked around, but everything was so fuzzy. A little grey Compsognathus came to her, she could focus on him. "Thank you, Mitch..."

She took a deep breath, she saw everything normally again.

"Angel!"

"Zander, you're here!" Reese looked up at the stairs and smiled at the Alpha Gang and Cole.

 **"You-"**

"Yes, us! And now you'll see who you started to play with!" Ursula told Zepar as she took her Alpha scanner, turned Terry into a card and summoned him in his battle form. "Ursula, no! Not here!" Zander and Ed yelled before the T-Rex landed.

Terry hit the ceiling with his head. _"That hurt..."_ he groaned tearfully.

"What are you thinking?! This place is too small for a Tyrannosaurus," Reese shouted. "You shut up!"

 **"I can solve that problem."** Zepar snapped her fingers. **"Megaraptor!"**

Mahin grabbed Terry's tail and smacked him against the wall, breaking into another room with a higher ceiling. The fight moved there.

"Let's join, Mitch!" Cole excitedly stepped at the edge of the stair, losing balance and dropping his Dino-slasher. "Damn it!" He ran to it, picking it up and trying to make it work.

Unsuccessfully.

The lights died out, he couldn't turn it on, he couldn't send Mitch and the others in the battle. Cole opened the Dino-slasher and took out his stone plate, summoning Mitch with it.

"Hey, blonde! Don't stare there and help me with that Megaraptor!" Ursula yelled as she activated the Dino-tector. Terry shined in a red light, obtaining a flame-like orange armor.

Reese nodded, standing up, taking out her element booster, but before she could do anything else... Zepar kicked her in the stomach. Reese painfully groaned, her body hit the floor.

"REESE!" Zander's eyes widen in indescribable fear.

His girlfriend and his child...

Without thinking he jumped off the stairs, running to Reese.

The others were so shocked that they didn't notice Rod, Laura, Kyra, and Dark came to the room, silently watching. Kyra covered her mouth not to scream.

"Reese!"

She was lying on the floor, her hand on her belly, whispering, "don't worry, sweetheart... It's okay... She won't hurt us again... Daddy's coming to save... Us..." She coughed, her glasses almost slipped off her nose.

 **"You idiot."**

Zander was so close to Reese, but the queen was standing in his way. She bashed him away. He fell on a thin broken metal pipe, it stabbed his right hip.

"ZANDER, NO!" Reese cried.

He fell to the ground, wheezing, bleeding. "No... No, no, no!" Tears were streaming down Reese's face, she tried to reach her hand to him, but couldn't touch him.

"Zander...? Is he...?"

"You monster!" Dark screamed, growing black bloody wings on her back. Everyone turned to her.

* * *

"Alright, I've got the plushie!" Bel said, coming back to D-lab.

"Thank you, Bel, you're great," Zoe thanked. "No problem."

Then the black crystal in Cruz's hand started to glow. "Dark!"

* * *

Zepar stepped on Reese's arm. "Ah! Zan... Please... Wake up..."

"You monster! I won't let you hurt my friends!"

Dark flew against Zepar, grabbing her throat, pushing her away from her friends.

There was a stream of blood running from Zander's mouth. "Zander...!" **"Whaha! That's so unfortunate,"** Zepar sarcastically laughed, **"I bet he has 10 minutes of life."**

"No..." Reese sobbed, before passing out.

Ed angrily called out Tank, giving her the Dino-tector. Both he and Ursula had tears in their eyes.

"Ree..." Kyra was about to summon her Corythosaurus, but Rod stopped her. "You and Laura go help Zander and Reese, we'll fight."

"Be careful," Laura told him, before dragging Kyra down.

"I hope you can patch his wound, Kyra."

Blonde's hands nervously shook as she nodded.

Meanwhile, Rod put a card to his hexagon, summoning a Chomp-like looking lighting dinosaur, a Torosaurus.

It ran into the battle. Mahin the Megaraptor was surrounded in the corner by Terry, Tank, Mitch and the Torosaurus. They attacked all at once, turning Mahin into a card immediately.

Zepar took Dark, throwing her at a wall. Dark's wings disappeared and Zepar vanished with a devilish laugh.

Everyone retreated their dinosaurs, rushing down. Sarah carefully came to her partner, nuzzling her. Ellie spread her fingers so she could see what's happening. She couldn't say anything.

"Tell me they're alive!" Ursula begged, coming to them as the first one.

"Yes, they are," Kyra assured everyone when she finished treating Zander. Both he and Reese were turned to lying on their backs.

"But..."

"But?!"

"Zander needs some time to recover, he lost a lot of blood. But Ree..." Kyra stopped explaining, crying. "What's with her?!" Cole snapped.

"Reese fainted because of the blood," Laura said, bringing unconscious Dark. "But the baby's in danger," Rod finished, "if it's still alive."

"No way..."

"Don't say that!" Kyra yelled, "Ree... Ree wanted it so much! They both were so happy. There must be hope. You don't even know how broken she was when she found out that she couldn't have kids..."

"... And how will Zander be once he finds out..." Ed sobbed. It was too much for him, he almost lost his brother, his friend, and unborn nephew or niece.

Kyra turned to Reese. "I know you're going to hate me for this..." She sighed, taking off Reese's scarf, unzipping her shirt. Kyra's eyes widen, seeing the wounds on friends belly. She lost all hope, there was no way the baby would survive that.

She slightly slapped Reese's cheek, trying to wake her up. "Ree, come on..."

Unknown to the others, Zander was actually awake, listening to them, hoping for it to be just a nightmare. No, the pain he felt was real. Tears ran down his face. He turned his head to Reese.

"And can't we do something?" Cole wondered, "like using **Nature's blessing**?" "But no one has that card here," Rod said.

Zander got hardly up and ran to Reese, holding her tightly, crying.

"Angel, please, wake up... Don't let this be true... Reese! Open your eyes, please! I failed you... I promised I won't let anything happen to you both! Gabriel... Parie... I don't want to lose them... I don't want to lose you! Please be okay... Please! DON'T TAKE THEM AWAY!"

Nobody dared to make a sound, the scene was so heartbreaking even for someone with no soul.

He kissed her, murmuring "I love you" over and over again.

"Don't go... Don't leave me! Reese, say something, tell me that you love me. I want to look into your eyes, see your smile, I want to hear your voice! Please, tell me it's going to be okay. You and our child are fine, right? Right...?! My angel! A-angel...? WAKE UP! DON'T GO TO HEAVEN WITHOUT ME!" he was yelling on top of his lungs.

Ursula opened her mouth, but nothing came out of it.

He yelled out all of the air in his lungs, sobbing. It couldn't be... This was a lie!

With those last bits of oxygen, he started to sing...

" **Oh, our sweet child... We love our dinosaurs.**

 **And when you close your eyes... I think I miss you more...**

 **Enjoy your sweet dreams...**

 **Where your troubles are gone, I want you to dream on...**

 **You make me... so strong...**

 **I just beg you not to sleep too long**."


	14. Their last part

**I'm back! But I'm still screwed with writing chapter 15, I'll try my best to finish it as soon as possible. While I try to write a new chapter, I'm gonna edit the old ones and fix my old mistakes. Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter...**

* * *

The scientist was calmly lying in his arms. He was still crying.

Kyra couldn't stand it anymore, she was holding back not to hurt herself or the others. Her best friend... Her crush... was gone-There were two voices coming from upstairs. Jessica the Corythosaurus ran to the stairs, recognizing them. _"But how did they get here? Never mind, they are the best help right now."_ She called out to lure the voices to them. "What is it, Jess...?" _"Kyra, they can help us! We still can save Reese!"_

Despite everything her dino said was translated to Kyra by her Dino-slasher, she didn't understand.

Only Jessica was turned to the stairs. When two women finally came to the room she happily yipped. "Oh boy," the one with bloody red hair murmured, seeing the scene. "What happened here?" the black-haired wondered, staring at the blood, then turning to hurt Reese, "let me check up on her!"

Everyone turned to them. "Mom! Wendy! What are you-" Kyra couldn't finish as Wendy rushed past her to Reese, kneeling down beside her. "What do you want to do to her...?" Zander asked her. "Don't worry, I'm a doctor. I'll take care of her," Wendy assured him. He nodded, standing up, feeling a stabbing pain in his hurt hip.

"Wen, are they going to be okay?" Kyra nervously wondered. "They?" Wendy repeated, realizing. "Oh gosh..." She sighed, her eyes widen. "Why couldn't you avoid troubles at least for nine months? There's no way..."

"Then are they okay...?"

"I'm sorry, Kyra..." Wendy replied.

"NO!" the fake blonde yelled, crying, "no, no, no, no! B-but..." "So, the baby's dead..." Zander cried, his face buried in his hands. Ellie finally decided to move, walking to him, hugging him, trying to comfort him. "Wen... That can't be-" "Sweetheart, I thought I taught you not to interrupt someone while they're talking," Lucy reminded her daughter. "Didn't you do the same now?" Ursula wondered.

"Kyra, everyone, please, let me finish," Wendy asked, "I'm sorry, I can't tell if they're alright. First, I would need an ultrasound, and second, this isn't my specialty. I can't promise you if she's going to live... But in the best scenario, she'll be fine and the baby will be just hurt, but I can't really tell right now."

"B-but..." Kyra stuttered. "Kyra, you now focus on staying calm, okay?" "Yes, mom..." She turned away, walking to Sarah, Jessica followed her. The Saurolophus nuzzled Kyra, trying to comfort her. It did nothing.

Kyra was uncontrollably shaking, sobbing, worrying about her best friend.

 _"You said yourself that there must still be hope,"_ Jessica reminded her. "There's no more hope..." Kyra murmured. _"Not when you won't believe in it..."_ Sarah would tell her if Kyra could hear her and she had enough energy. She turned into a card, falling in Kyra's hand.

Cole was silently watching his ex-girlfriend, feeling useless, there was nothing he could do for her.

"I'm so sorry, everyone, this is... my fault..." Ellie mumbled, shaking just like Kyra. She looked like she was about to black out any second. It was too much for her. "You did nothing wrong," Zander assured her.

"Alright, can someone understandably tell me what actually happened?" Lucy wondered. "Zepar," Rod replied. "But how come she's back?!" Cole shouted, "wait..." He curiously looked at the others, no one was so furious like him, he realized. "This isn't the first time she appeared since we 'defeated' her, right?" Everyone's quiet stares were the answer. "I see." "We agreed not to tell you, for your own good," Laura told him.

Wendy zipped Reese's shirt, then she turned to the others, noticing Zander's injury. She stood up, examining the wound. "Um...?"

"Kyra treated you, right?"

"Y-yes..."

"She's really good at helping people. This is strange," Wendy murmured, "there is no way you would be able to stand right now after losing so much blood and the wound... Lucy, can you come to take a look?" She turned to the teacher, she was smoking. "Lucy! Don't smoke here!" Wendy yelled, "we're in closed space and kids are here!" Komatsu just rolled her eyes, throwing the cigaret at the ground, slightly stepping on it. She went to them, looking at the wound. "What do you want me to see?" she wondered, "you're the medic here." "But you are the guardian here," Wendy said. "And what does that have to do with anything?"

"Just look at it. No wound would ever heal so fast."

"And? Wait, you mean...? Grass crystal! I mean it's the only thing I know that can heal like that," Lucy said, "Zoe did it...?" "I don't think so," Wendy answered. Lucy's eyes fell on Reese, then back to Zander. "You're her child's father, right?" she asked him. He nodded. "How did you-" "It was easy, I just saw your reaction and it was obvious," Lucy explained, "I think Reese as the guardian of grass crystal used its power to heal you without having the crystal in her hand which we thought is impossible." "Love can do miracles," Wendy chuckled, "anyway what happened to Dark?"

"She turned to some angel of darkness," Ed explained. "No way... I never thought she'd..." Wendy murmured.

"Hey, let's take them out of here," Lucy suggested. "Don't think you're going to smoke outside," Wendy told her. "Fine, fine..."

Wendy picked Dark up. Zander wanted to take Reese, but his hip was still hurting. Ed and Rod let him lean on them and helped him. Cole took Reese on his back. They all headed out.

Kyra stopped when everyone left the room, there was a strange sound. The room was collapsing. Kyra ran to the exit.

Cole heard it too, noticing Kyra wasn't with them. He immediately rushed back, laying Reese gently on the floor. "Kyra!"

The others turned back.

Cole was back in the room, running into Kyra. "You okay?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "Where's Ree?"

"Outside this room. C'mon!"

But before they could leave, the ceiling collapsed.

"KYRA!" Lucy ran back, stopping at a rubble that used to be an entrance to the room. "K-Kyra...? Cole... Kyra!"

C-could they survive that...? "Kyra...?"

Lucy heard a laugh behind her, turning around, she saw Zepar. **"What a pity, huh?"**

Then the queen's eyes fell on Reese. Lucy was too shocked to move or speak. Zepar picked Reese up and disappeared in a smoke.

Lucy was just staring at the place where the devil stood a moment ago, not realizing the others came to her and saw it too.

"This looks like a problem," Laura said.

"A-angel...? Where would Zepar take her?!"

"To Akuno," Rod replied, "don't even think about that." "He's right. You're hurt," Wendy said, "it can be dangerous for you."

Suddenly, one of the Alpha scanners received a call. When Ursula picked it up, Dr. Z appeared on the screen. "So, did you get it?" he asked her. She realized what they were supposed to do. After all of this, that was the last thing on her mind. Plus Megaraptor's card was buried with those two brats.

She didn't answer.

"You numbskulls! All three get here, now!"

"But-"

"NOW!"

The screen went off.

"What now?" Ed wondered. "We'll go," Zander decided. "But what about Reese?" Ellie demanded. "We need Dr. Z's help." "No, you only need to rest," Wendy reminded.

"Just go and I'll try to get to Kyra and Cole," Lucy told them. "Lucy-" "What?! Am I supposed to leave them there?! What is it with you, Wendy? You're supposed to help people!"

"What do you mean?"

"I refuse to lose someone else," the teacher said, "I'm going to save my daughter and Cole, just like _he's_ going to save his girlfriend and child. I know you would do the same for Gerard."

"...I'll take Dark to safety."

* * *

 **Alpha gang base, later**

"Then what do you want that plushie for?" Max asked Zoe when they were just walking with Rex and their dinosaurs. "That's a secret," she replied. "By the way, what happened to it?" Rex wondered, "you used to carry it everywhere, but you suddenly stopped." "...A dog thor it apart, it took some time to fix it," Zoe answered.

 _"I hope Paris won't get jealous of another Parasaurolophus in our herd,"_ Chomp joked. _"Why would I get jealous of an inanimate thing?"_ Paris asked him. _"Ignore him,"_ Ace told her, _"from hunger he doesn't know what he's saying."_

"I just hope they will get here with it," Zoe said. _"I must give it to her before we leave..."_ she thought.

While they were walking they heard a mad laughter. "What is it this time?" Rex asked, looking up with the others. Dr. Z was on a balcony, laughing. He had a dark bags under his eyes like he hasn't slept for days. But there was someone else standing next to him. A tall dark-haired man with a cape, giving the children a Seth feeling.

"There's something wrong," Max said. He was right. Dr. Z was mumbling something about becoming a dinosaur king, that was actually normal, but the way he talked was strange. He was saying the same thing over and over again.

"What's going on? Who are you?!" Zoe asked the man. He just glared at her.

Chomp and the others growled.

The rest of the Alpha Gang came on the balcony, confused. "This is weird," Rex admitted. "The old lady?" "I'M NOT AN OLD LADY-"

The man clicked his fingers, the Alpha Gang looked just as oblivious.

"What?!"

"Guys, I think I know what's going on. He's that last part of Akuno we talked about," Rex said, "he's controlling them."

"Now, get those runts," the man commanded. The Alpha Gang took out their Alpha scanners and swiped the cards.

"Alpha slash!"

The Tyrannosaur, Spinosaurus, and Saichania landed in front of the D-team as oblivious as their owners.

"What are you doing?! We're in the same team!" Max tried to remind them. They didn't listen.

Terry roared.

"We can't fight them," Zoe murmured, "Reese doesn't want us to." "But we don't have a choice," Rex told her, "it's not them." Zoe just nodded.

Changing their dinosaurs into cards, they swiped them.

"Dino slash!"

The Triceratops, Carnotaurus, and Parasaurolophus stood against their enemies.

They all activated their dino-tector.

Chomp headbutted Terry, Ace jumped at Tank and Paris tried to knock Spiny down. Struggling, the Alpha dinos took advantage. Tank hit Ace with her tail, tossing his at the wall. Spiny bit Paris' neck, throwing her to Ace, breaking the wall down. "No!"

Only Chomp was still battling with his rival, but Spiny and Tank went to help Terry. The Spinosaurus grabbed Triceratops' tail, dragging him from the T-Rex. The three dinosaurs stood against the one Triceratops. _"This is bad..."_ he admitted to himself. Max was about to take out the **Ultimate thunder** , but before he could swipe it, the Alpha Gang already did. Three ultimate moves were heading to Chomp, he wasn't fast enough to dodge. When they all hit him, he fell to the floor.

"Chomp, no! Get up!"

"Don't worry, Max," Zoe said, taking the **Nature's blessing** card. Unfortunately, Chomp's armor disappeared and he turned into a card.

The D-team just stared with their mouths opened, the Alpha Gang was stronger than they remembered, it was almost impossible.

"Looks like it's up to us, Zoe."

Meanwhile, Elie came to the balcony, watching the Alpha Gang in disbelief. They were completely hypnotized. She stood there, shocked.

"Max!" The trio turned around, seeing Dr. Taylor, Aki, and Dr. Owen running to them. "Dad?" "What's going on here?"

"The Alpha Gang turned against us," Zoe replied. "But why?" Dr. Owen wondered. "Akuno. They're blinded by the darkness," Rex explained, looking away, remembering how he was the same. They heard their dinosaurs roaring in agony, both Ace and Paris were lying on the ground.

"Ace!" "Paris! We must use the ultimate moves, quick!" "No," Rex stopped Zoe, "we can't win with the same power they also have. Don't forget we have our own power." His Dino-slasher glowed in the almost white light. " **Jet shuriken**!" Ace sent a storm of wind shurikens at Terry, Spiny, and Tank, doing almost no damage. "So much for our power..." Zoe sighed. _"The armor's too strong,"_ Ace said, _"Rex, what do we do now?"_ "I don't know."

"We would need something important to them to make them snap out of it, just like Sue," Zoe said, "why isn't Reese here when we need her?"

"Let me try," Dr. Owen said and then called, "Ursula, my love! Please, snap out!" "What the hell?" Ellie murmured. It wasn't very effective. Usually, she would try to run or glared disgustedly, not this time. "It's no use..."

The Alpha dinosaurs turned against the D-team, ready to attack. "Oh uh..." Ace and Paris were too weak to stand up and protect them.

The dinosaurs were getting closer, but not close enough to hurt the D-team, because...

"Dino slash!"

" **Flare sword**!"

" **Laser ray**!"

Terry, Spiny, and Tank were smacked by a giant fire sword and hit by a rainbow beam. "Oh, hell yes! I love that attack!" "Sue?!"

Alice, Sue, Tashi, and Annie came right at the time. "Really, girl? We can't leave you three for five minutes without getting into trouble," Sue said angrily. "W-well, thank you for saving us," Zoe nervously answered.

"That guy is that last part of Akuno," Alice exclaimed, "I've seen him a few times, but I thought he's just Drack's older version."

"Who exactly are you?!" Max asked the man. He smirked. "As you already claimed, I am the last part of the Akuno. People call me the dark magician Gundham! I'm sure you met my son and daughter before."

"Gundham? The hell? Don't you mean Gandalf?"

"Well, of course. They kinda killed important people to us and tried to kill us, you can't surprise us," Alice commented. "Maybe I can... Using them. Your old enemies and now your allies are going to kill you. They're going to be perfect puppets for our queen."

"Forget about that!" Ellie spoke up. Gundham turned to her. "And what can you do?" he asked her.

"Ellie?"

"I won't let you use them!"

"How pathetic woman... Do you want to die?"

"N-no!" Ellie squeaked, "please, everyone, listen to me. Snap out! I know you don't wanna do this. Zander, please..." They didn't listen.

"Get her," Gundham commanded. The Alpha Gang grabbed Ellie. "Ow, no!" She struggled. "Please, remember!" They pushed her to the railing of the balcony. Ellie screamed, looking down.

"Do you want to jump or should they push you over the edge?" he demanded. Ellie was crying, shaking, screaming. "Please, no... Don't..." She shut her eyes closed.

The D-team was just watching the horrifying scene. There was nothing they could do.

Someone pulled Ellie back. When she opened her eyes, she saw Rod.

"Guess we'll end this," Sue said, ready to swipe a move card. The only thing that stood in her way was Laura that appeared out of nowhere. "Laura, what are you doing?"

"Stopping this fight. Terry and the others won't hurt me." "That it worked once doesn't mean it'll work again," Max told her. They headed to her, but Spiny and Tank stood in their way.

Gundham teleported before Laura. "Gundham?" "Hi, there, Kami." He hit her.

"You bastard!" The Alpha Gang immediately snapped out, calling their dinosaurs back. "You're going to pay for touching her!" Dr. Z yelled.

"Aren't you missing something, princess?" Gundham wondered, holding a black round gem on a brown cloth. He put it around her neck.

"Laura!"

The gem glowed and Laura turned into Kami Ike. "Laura?" Max came over. Kami swung her whip, keeping him away. "Stay away if you know what's good for you," she said, vanishing with Gundham.

"Grr... This is all your fault, brats!" Dr. Z shouted. "How is that our fault?" Max asked him. "You fell for his tricks and attacked us!" Zoe joined. "In their defense, it's hard to resist Akuno," Rex mumbled. "You're right, blonde," Sue agreed.

"We must go find Laura to the Akuno," Rod suggested. "Don't stare there you three!" Dr. Z snapped at his stooges. They scaredly shook and nodded. They left. Ellie stood there for a while, then she ran after them.

The D-team retrieved their dinosaurs, turning them into chibis.

 _"What now?_ " Annie asked. "The hell do you ask me?" Sue wondered. "We'll go to the D-lab," Alice unsurely suggested, "Justin went there." "Since we don't have another plan, I agree," Max said, heading away with the others.

Alice stayed in the room. "Um, guardians?" The adults stopped, turning back. "There's gonna be a pretty messed up stuff in the D-lab. I'm not sure how the others are gonna handle it."


	15. What happened?

They all entered the main room of the D-lab. They were slightly wet from outside, there was a storm.

Ace shook off the water, glad that more doesn't drop on him anymore.

"This is sad," Max said. Everything was destroyed. "You wonder? I was the last one who's been here and that was 8 years ago," Rex told him. "Don't mention the years, I'm the hell losing in that with all that time-traveling," Sue commented.

The dinosaurs were sniffing around, looking for Justin. He wasn't there.

"Alice, are you sure Justin's here?" Dr. Taylor asked her. She looked up at him. "He said he'll go here," she replied, glaring at Tashi hiding in her jacket, "usually he wouldn't leave this place, but now..." "Maybe he's been too scared," Max said. _"That would fit him,"_ Tashi murmured. "Yeah, it doesn't feel so safe anymore," Zoe admitted.

 _"I know this smell..."_ Ace kept on sniffing. _"Me too. But why would it be here?"_ Annie wondered. _"I smell something too,"_ Chomp added, _"someone we know." "But it's too weak that I can't tell who can it be,"_ Paris sadly called out.

"At least nothing you warned us about is here," Dr. Owen whispered. "I'm afraid it still waits on us," Alice mumbled.

Suddenly the door opened and a high-pitched scream sounded. A short brunette hid from them. They all looked to the door, surprised by the scream. They saw him and his Dimetrodon peeking out. When he realized who's actually in the room, he cleared his throat, walking in like a professional like nothing happened, his Dimetrodon following him. That made them laugh. Max, Sue, and Alice almost fell to the ground from uncontrollable laughter.

"Well, you have surprised me," Justin said, "what more can I say? Why are you here anyway?"

They explained everything to him.

"Gundham? He can be a problem, now that he brought Kami back," Justin said, "it makes me wonder how come he had the black cosmos."

 _"That smell... I just know it."_ "Annie, you okay?" Sue asked.

 _"Why can only we smell it?"_ Ace wondered. Rex noticed his partner's still sniffing around. "Is something wrong?"

 _"I've smelt it here before,"_ Karo joined, _"no wonder only we noticed it. It is blood."_

 _"Blood!? Sue, we've got a problem!"_

 _"This is bad... This way!"_ Ace ran down the stairs. "Ace, where are you going?" Rex called. He listened to Justin the whole time, ignoring his Carnotaurus until now.

Annie the Daspletosaurus growled at Sue, telling her why the blue carnivore ran away. "Blonde, I think he knows more," she said, "we must follow him!"

"K-Karo, what did you just say...?" Justin wondered, his face turning green.

"This hell doesn't look good!"

Annie led them all to where Ace went. They heard someone exhaustedly panting. They stopped at a rubble. Ace and a tired woman were there. She was throwing the rocks away. The pile of some rocks on a side said that she's been doing that for a long time.

"Mom?!" Alice and Justin said. She turned to them, her bloody red hair down, her face dirty, she smiled at her children. "Guess this is going to need some explaining," she chuckled. "You can start with how the hell did you managed to get more than 100 years forward in time," Sue suggested. "I don't know myself," Lucy replied, hardly standing up. She's put all of her strength into moving the rubble, so she had just a little energy to stand. Aki helped her.

"And what happened here?" she asked her. Lucy rolled her eyes away from her and quietly replied: "Kyra and Cole... They're buried under... I doubt I would get to them in time anyway..."

Alice and Max looked at their dinosaurs. "Tashi, do you think you can get through?" "Are you ready, Chomp?"

"Wait up, you two," Rex stopped them, "using our dinosaurs can be dangerous. Let's save it as the last solution." "But-"

"Other doors might not have that much rubble, we can try them," Dr. Taylor suggested...

* * *

A small white Corythosaurus was worriedly running on the other side of the rubble. It was dark that she couldn't see anything in front of her. She heard some voices, rushing to their source, she recognized them.

 _"Please! Help! Someone! Get us out!"_

The rubble was moving and she saw a light and several figures. Jessica ran to them. _"Finally! You're here..."_

"Jessica, you're okay..." Alice smiled. "Yeah, but what about-" "Kyra!"

The singer was lying in the center of the room, unconscious. Jessica and Alice rushed to her, but when the light shined on a pool of blood Kyra was lying in, Alice froze.

The others didn't move as well. Only Justin fainted. Sue held him not to hit the ground.

Alice was staring at her sister, not realizing that according to her vision there is no way it could be hers. Her fear was stronger than her rational thoughts.

Lucy watched with the same horror in her eyes. First her husband, now her eldest daughter, that couldn't be true.

Jessica nuzzled Kyra, trying to wake her up. She actually opened her eyes slowly. Alice sighed in relief. When Kyra heard a thunder from outside, she quickly sat up, covering her ears. "K-Kyra, it's going to be alright," Alice told her, but her sister was still shaking.

"Ngh... Turn the lights off..." someone mumbled. Cole was lying near the rubble, bleeding. His left arm and legs were wounded. "Hey, guys..." He tried to stand up, but with his hurt legs, he couldn't stay like that for long. His father and brother went to help him.

They brought them up to the main room, letting them sit. Once Justin snapped out, he sat down on the floor, facing the different side.

Kyra was still trembling, covering her ears and crying, covered in the blood she's been lying in. Every time there was a thunder she quietly screamed. "Is she going to be okay?" Zoe wondered. "Yes, she is," Lucy assured her, patting Kyra's back, "this is a pretty low state, sometimes it's even worse. She'll calm down once the storm is over." "I guess she has brontophobia or keraunophobia," Rex said. Alice nodded.

"What's that?" Max asked. "Fear of thunders and storms." "She's scared because it was the same weather when... it happened..." Alice explained, sadly turning to Rex. He gave her an encouraging smile, making her blush.

"As long as she isn't hurt I'm glad," Lucy mumbled. "Don't worry about that, that blood isn't hers," Cole treated by his mother spoke up, "she may have some scratches. I pushed her away so she wouldn't get hit by that fallen ceiling like me-Ow! Mom, that hurt..." Aki just glared at him and continued patching his wounds. Sue just giggled.

"No, no, no..." Kyra whispered, sobbing. Everyone sadly looked at her. Cole hardly stood up and put his earphones in her ears. She heard nothing but a rock music, she calmed down. Cole grinned at her. "Better?" Kyra hugged him tightly, Cole's cheeks turning red, feeling a little pain. "Kyra, it hurts." She let go of him, smiling at him. Cole went to sit down again. "That's why rock and metal are the best, they're louder than thunder," he laughed.

"Cole, what happened here?" his father asked him. "Welp... I've gone here with the Alpha Gang for another dinosaur. It's not like I've teamed up with them-" "Oh, hell! To the point, superstar!" Sue snapped. "Kay, kay... The battle's kinda gone wrong..." "And that means?"

Cole glared at Lucy, letting her know it isn't the best to mention everyone who's been present there. "When Wendy and I arrived, the tall one was already treated by Kyra," Lucy continued. "So, Zander's been really hurt," Zoe said, "I think I've noticed his coat being torn a little." "The blood is his," Cole explained, "during the battle, Kyra, Dark, Kami and her brother came here. Dark turned into... something. I dunno what that was. Failing in the battle, she fainted and Wendy took her to safety. And..." He looked around the room, unsure if he can say that. After a while of silence, he spoke up again: "Zepar was here too."

"What?! How?!" The owners stared at him in surprise. "How come she's back?" Max asked him, "I thought we've defeated her." "Welp, don't ask me that," Cole mumbled, turning to the guardians.

"You didn't tell them again?" Lucy wondered.

The guardians explained to them why they've actually traveled to the future and why they haven't told them.

"Great, we've tried for nothing!" Sue angrily commented. "That's exactly what I thought," Cole said. "Why wouldn't Reese want us to know about it?" Zoe wondered.

"Talking about her..." Kyra silently sobbed, holding Reese's scarf and Sarah's card, "where... Where is she...?" She looked at her mother. Lucy turned away from here. "She's been here?!" Zoe gasped. Lucy nodded. "She..." "She's the reason why Cole went here with the Alpha Gang," Alice explained, "I've seen her here, having some troubles." "Zepar attacked her," Cole sadly continued, looking away from Zoe, "she hit her in the belly, Reese then fainted..." Every face in the room wore a terrified expression. "When the room started to collapse, I left Reese in front of it to come back for Kyra." "She was still there when I came to the rubble," Lucy spoke up, "but Zepar kidnapped her. I was too shocked by what happened and terrified by a thought that I'd lose Kyra that I couldn't stop her." "It wasn't your fault," Zoe told her, determinately staring at the floor. She looked up, heading out. "We must save her!" Sue grabbed her hand, stopping her. "Forget that, girl. You're not going anywhere."

"It's dangerous going in the Akuno, especially now," Dr. Taylor said. "That is what Zepar wants you to do," Dr. Owen joined, "she wants her revenge." Zoe looked at them with a disappointed glare, but that immediately vanished.

"Am I supposed to hide here and let Zepar kill my sister?!" she yelled with tears in her eyes, "Reese is hurt and powerless against her! She's probably lost even her child and we're going to let her die!" "Girl, calm down..." She made Sue let go of her hand. "If no one of you goes then I go alone!"

"I'm sorry, girl..." Sue whispered and slapped Zoe. The others just watched in surprise

* * *

 **Akuno**

She slowly opened her eyes, sitting on her knees. Her stomach horribly ached. She looked around, it was so dark there. Her arms, legs, and neck were wrapped around with strings. She noticed that her scarf is gone.

"...Zan...anyone...where are you...? And where am I...?" she whispered.

 **"You're in my hands,"** a female voice said.

Her eyes widened in fear when she heard that voice. "...no...no, no..." In front of her was standing the devil herself, smirking.

Reese stood up, anger and fear running through her veins. "You-!" **"Me?"** She wanted to punch Zepar, but the strings didn't allow her to get near her.

 **"What is it, creator?"**

"Where...where is he?! Where is my boyfriend?! Please... Please, tell me he's alive..."

 **"But would you believe me if I'll tell you the truth?"**

"...you monster...please, tell me...ah-ngh!" Reese covered her belly with her arms, moaning in pain, falling on her knees. **"Does it hurt? I hope it does! I hit right where I wanted."**

"Wh...why...?"

 **"I want you to do me a favor."**

"NEVER!"

 **"You must have misunderstood. Let me say it again, help me and I'm going to heal you."**

"I'm not falling for that again! I'm not letting you use me or hurt my friends!"

 **"So, you're going to let your child die?"**

Reese's scared eyes filled with tears. Zepar snapped her fingers and a young boy and girl stood beside her. He had blond hair with black ends, the girl had the colors reversed. She wore sunglasses on her head, but the boy was looking through a pair of normal glasses. Eyes of them both were purple just like Reese's. "Parie...? Gabriel...?"

 **"You don't even wanna give them a chance?"**

* * *

 **D-lab**

"Oh, C'mon, girl, not again! You know how it ended up the last time you haven't listened to us!"

"Why don't you care, Sue?!" Zoe asked her, "Reese is in danger!" "I care! But you aren't going to help her dead! Once you'll step in the Akuno, Zepar's gonna snap your neck or something," Sue yelled, her voice breaking a little, "I don't want to lose you again..." "And do you remember how Reese almost ended up the last time she's been in the Akuno?!"

"She's been there because of you, girl! She wanted to sacrifice herself for you! If you'll go to the Akuno you're going to die and that makes her actions meaningless! Reese is like a sister to me and I know she's going to get out. She's Little Genius, the smartest person in Japan. She's gonna figure out how the hell to get out of that trouble. We're talking about Reese Drake after all."

Zoe quietly stared at her best friend, thinking about what she's just heard.

"But she's hurt... Paris and I should find her and use **Nature's blessing** or my crystal to heal her," Zoe fearfully said, "...what about her baby...?" Max took her hand, hoping it'll calm her down.

"Wendy said that in the best case, it's going to be injured just a little," Lucy remembered. "But still-!" "Zepar wants Reese's child alive," Aki said. "How do you know that?" "I've heard that Zepar whispered to her that she's going take rather her or her child as a servant..."

"That's...disturbing..." Max murmured.

"But why would she attack Reese then?" Dr. Owen wondered. "To extort her," Rex realized, "just like with me. I bet she hurt Reese just to make her help her as an exchange for healing." "Reese has fallen for that trick once," Alice reminded, "why would she do it again?" "Yeah," Cole agreed with her, "Reese is smart enough to do the same mistake twice."

"She's going to be a mother," Aki and Lucy said as one. They surprised the kids by their reason why would Reese give up. "It doesn't matter how dumb and wrong the choice can be..." "She's going to choose it if it saves her child."

"Welp, guess nerdy's going try to outsmart Zepar," Cole theorized. "I don't have a good feeling about that since what happened the last time," Max admitted. Zoe sadly looked away, that memory was still hunting her.

"Nothing against, but what happened was kinda your fault," Sue said, glaring at Max, Rex, and Zoe. "What's that supposed to mean?" "Sue, you haven't been there! You know nothing!" Zoe snapped. "But I've seen it," Alice joined, "Sue's right. Reese had a perfect plan, but you've made it fail. She wanted to destroy the last crystal and it would work if you hadn't stop her." "She would die if we'd let her do that," Rex told her. "No. She'd survive," Alice objected. "But she almost died!" "Zo, Ree's lost a lot of blood..." Kyra murmured. "She got stabbed, guys! She wasn't dying from some connection to the last crystal, she almost bled out," Alice growled, "you three maybe act like heroes, but you only endanger others around you to do so."

"Because we would never let anyone die," Rex said, "do you have any idea what's it like when people you care about, the whole world depends on you? When their lives are in your hands-" "Yes, I do!" Alice barked, "one thing worse than being responsible for someone's death or destruction of the world is when you know what exactly you must do to stop it and... You just don't try at all... I let him die like that, I don't want to do that same mistake with you. Please, don't go to the Akuno. There's only a small chance that everything will end up good when you'll go there. We just must believe in the Alpha Gang. They're sure going to find Reese and Laura."


	16. Don't do that!

**Akuno**

Meanwhile, walking through the dark halls of the underground base, the Alpha Gang and Ellie were looking around, trying to find either of the girls.

Rod and Dr. Z that led the way weren't scared at all at that moment, on the other hand, the rest couldn't stop shaking.

"Are you sure we're going to find her here?" Dr. Z asked his grandson. "This is the lowest floor. This is where Zepar kept me that whole time, if they aren't here, then I don't know where," Rod replied, "be careful, this place is full of traps." He accidentally kicked into a rock on the ground. That sound scared Ellie.

She squeaked and hugged Zander. They looked at each other, blushing. She immediately let go of him. "Sorry..."

"Well, this is awkward," Ursula commented. "No fair. I want a hug too," Ed murmured. "You shouldn't have gone here," Zander told her. "Look, I feel responsible for what happened to you and Reese, you're my friends I can't just... I promise if it's going to be too dangerous for our child I'm going to stay back," Ellie assured him.

They continued walking. Suddenly, Ellie stepped on some button, opening a trapdoor under Alpha trio's feet. They looked down, falling and screaming. "NOT AGAAAAAAING!" It took five seconds for them to hit the bottom.

"Are you three okay?" Ellie asked, looking down, she couldn't see them. "Yeah! We're still alive!" "I told you to be careful," Rod reminded them. "Those three are nothing but fall," Dr. Z growled.

"Let's go, we should keep looking."

"Rod, wait! We can't just leave them," Ellie said. "They are fine. Laura is in bigger danger than them."

They headed away when Kami appeared in their way. "No. You are in bigger danger."

Kami had strange gloves with a hexagon on her left hand. She put a card to it, activating it. A red and blue carnivore appeared. She looked like River the Allosaurus but bigger.

"What is that?"

"Allosaurus Artox, a bigger and stronger species," Kami replied. "You don't give me another choice," Rod said, calling out his Torosaurus.

* * *

"Ow...That's it! After we'll get out of here, I'm taking a vacation!" Ursula yelled. All three stood up.

"What are we going to do now?" Ed wondered. "Find the way out, but which way? It's dark as hell in here!"

"Reese! My angel, where are you?! REESE!" Zander called. _No answer..._ "Angel..."

Then there was a soft voice in a distance. "...help...me..." He immediately rushed to its source. The other two followed with screaming: "Wait for us! Where do you think you're going?!"

He saw her, running to hug her. She just stared at him. "Angel! You're okay."

He was so close. "No, stay back!" she yelled, cutting him slightly with a knife in her hand. "Reese...? Why...?" He stopped, looking her in the eyes, holding his wound.

"I'm so sorry..." she cried. Her face became paler seeing the blood.

When the rest caught up, they could just stare. "I knew we can't trust her!" Ursula snapped.

"No, wait... It's not what it looks like," Reese tried to explain. "...you attacked me, my angel...why?!" "Zan... I-"

She moved the knife to her throat. Zander's eyes widened in indescribable fear. "...no...WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! STOP IT! Please..."

Zepar appeared behind the scientist, revealing herself to be pulling the strings wrapped around Reese. She was the one forcing her to endanger herself.

 **"It's beautiful to be back! Nice to see you again."**

"LET HER GO!" Zander yelled at Zepar. **"Huh? Oh, you're much braver than I remember. You surprised me, I thought you'd be dead by now."**

"Can't you just let Reese and Laura go and show us the way out...?" Ed nervously asked. Zepar glared at him, scaring him. **"Why would I do that now that I have you here? You three are now going to do me a favor."**

"What?! No way!" Ursula snapped at her, "you used me once! There's no way I'm going to let you do that again!" **"I wasn't asking, old lady!"**

"I'M NOT AN OLD LADY! YOU'RE SEVERAL BILLION TIMES OLDER THAN ME!"

 **"Let me say that again. You're going to help me or..."** Reese's hand that was holding the knife moved closer to her throat. "No, please! I'll do it-" "Don't you dare do that!" Reese interrupted Zander. **"What do you think you're doing, my sweet little marionette?"**

"You aren't villains anymore or at least you aren't that evil! Don't let her control you! Don't do what she wants!"

"But, my angel...we have to! Or else she's going to kill you and our child..."

Reese knew she couldn't let them fall for Zepar's tricks. She would rather die than let them help the devil in any way. She had to lie, she had to lie to him.

"Don't listen to her... The child is dead! Just let her do that, my life doesn't matter."

"It's dead...Reese! Despite that your life matters! It matters to me!"

"Zan, please...don't do that. She's going to use you, make you hurt other people! I don't want that to become from you, any of you. You maybe can't let me die, but the others can, right?" Reese hopefully looked at Ursula and Ed. "W-what...?" he nervously asked, "how can you even want that from me? You're my friend." "Friend?" "Forget that, blonde!" she snapped at the scientist.

"Look, it really flatters me that you care about me so much, but just not now! Zepar's going to make you use the dirtiest tricks so she can get what she wants!" Reese warned them.

 **"This isn't what you've promised to me, marionette. The deal was that I'm going to heal you and you're going to convince them. I've finished my part, but where is yours? You're lying to them to protect them from the evil I am, but it won't work."**

"No, I'll make sure you're going fall even this time, Zepar! I'd rather let my child die than let it live in a world ruled by you or being a servant to you."

 **"But they won't let you do that."**

Zander fell on his knees, crying. "Don't hurt her... Don't hurt her, I'll do anything!" "No!" Reese yelled. She looked at the other two with a bit of hope in her eyes. Ed gave up as well. She turned to Ursula, begging her, hoping her hate towards her won't allow her to save her life, but her expectation shattered.

"No..." Zepar made the scientist drop the knife. Reese knelt down slowly defeatedly. Zander hugged her tightly. "I'm so glad you aren't hurt, my angel," he sobbed. "I've lied to you," she murmured, "Zepar healed me. We're both okay"

 **"Perfect,"** Zepar said, smirking, **"now, you three are going to bring me the D-team."** Reese's eyes widened. "Don't you dare do that!" "We don't have another choice, angel..."

"If you'll hurt them I'm _never_ going to forgive you!" Reese growled. "I'd rather live with that than with you both being death," Zander replied, kissing her forehead. "You idiot..."

"Don't worry, we're very likely going to fail," Ursula whispered as she came to them, "they've always been better than us." She winked at Reese.

* * *

 **D-lab**

There was an awkward silence all over the place. No one made a sound, they were hoping for the best.

Justin broke the silence: "We should turn on the power." "What do you want, four eyes?" Cole wondered. "My laptop's battery is out of power," Justin explained, "we can only make a group-call with my laptop. I assume we should let the rest know about what is going on."

"But after such a long time the lab shouldn't have a power source," Lucy said, "so, to get some electricity... Let's take a kite and run outside, maybe a lightning will hit." "I do not think-" "I'll make the kite," Alice offered. "What the hell?! Isn't that a little morbid?" Sue commented, "we can use a hamster wheel, that's less dangerous." "Oh, yeah!" Cole agreed, "can't wait to see four eyes running in it!" He joked, grinning. "I am a lab scientist, not a lab rat," Justin growled.

"Maybe Chomp and I can try it," Max suggested. Justin nodded and Max with his partner left the room.

"Don't you think we should go too?" Rex asked Zoe. "Why?" "Well, the whole place can collapse any minute, we should go just in case." Zoe noticed Rex's glare, he wasn't worried about Max, he was planning something. She agreed and they both headed after their friend with Ace and Paris.

"Max, you aren't going to turn on the power, are you?" Rex wondered. Max surprisedly turned around, nervously looking at them.

"How do you know...?"

"I know you."

"Wait, then where did you wanna go, Max?" Zoe demanded. "He wanted to save Reese," Rex replied before the brunette could. "And you won't stop me from doing that-" "Didn't come to stop you," Rex said calmly, "we're going with you." "But what about what Alice said? If we all go it can end up really badly," Max reminded them. "I don't care!" Zoe snapped, "I won't let Zepar hurt my sister!" "Don't you dare get hurt, Zoe," Max told her, blushing. "Don't worry about me!" "We should go before the others will figure it," Rex exclaimed. The others nodded and went outside.

The rest was waiting in the main room. No one of them got suspicious of the trio until they noticed a battlefield outside and heard a dinosaur roar. "Oh, great! What now?" Cole wondered. "Alice and I'll go," Sue decided. "If you say so..." Alice murmured. "I'll go with you," Dr. Taylor said as they ran out.

Meanwhile, the D-team started a battle with the Alpha Gang. They were trying once again to convince their enemy to stop, but unfortunately. The whole time the dinosaurs kept a tie.

When the D-team was about to use their move cards, something stopped them. Something tied Zoe up and wrapped around Rex's neck. It looked like dark ropes that came out of nowhere. They tried to get Max too, but the ropes touched him, he glowed in a yellow light, repelling them.

"Rex, Zoe, just hold on!" he said, heading to help them. Before he could, he felt a hit to his head. Everything in front of his eyes went black. He fell to the ground.

"Max!"

"Stop it!" Zoe yelled at the Alpha Gang, "why are you doing this?!" No answer was given to her.

At that moment, all three D-team dinos where knocked down by Spiny's **Ultimate water**. That let Rex and Zoe only stare. How is that possible? While that, Terry or Tank didn't even try that hard. As Ursula said, they're very likely going to fail as always, that applied until Zander decided to take the lead. He won against the D-team with no problem.

Suddenly, Spike, Sue, and Alice came to the battlefield, witnessing what just happened. "Oh, hell no! Not this again!" Sue growled, ready to change her dinosaur into a card with Alice. Once they pressed a button that was supposed to turn Annie the Daspletosaurus and Tashi the Pachycephalosaurus into cards, nothing happened. They tried again, still the same result.

"No, not now..."

"Why the hell it doesn't work?!"

Then they noticed that the cards of D-team's dinosaurs and the D-team themselves alongside with the Alpha Gang and their dinos started to disappear in a smoke. They ran each to one member of the D-team.

"Max!"

"Rex, no!"

"Wait up, Girl!"

But they were too late, everyone else was gone.


	17. Not the time

**Woah, 5th of August. No! Back to school soon... -_- But today's my stepbrother's 1st birthday, yay!  
**

 **Anyway, enjoy this chapter cause well, it'll probably take me some time to finish chapter 18**

* * *

When Spike, Sue, and Alice told the others what happened outside the D-lab, they couldn't believe that.

Once they all exchanged their worries and anger, they started solving the problems. While the others were trying to calm Justin down, Dr. Taylor went to turn on the power using the energy of the lightning crystal.

"I can't believe they betrayed us," Cole growled, "twice!" "I don't think they would do it voluntarily," Kyra objected.

"We could have saved them if we'd be faster! Why didn't you hell warned us?!" Sue angrily turned to Alice.

"They would. They are villains," Cole exclaimed.

"Cole, I just know they wouldn't help Zepar! They know what she's done. And now that Zepar has Ree, there is no way they would, at least Zander wouldn't," Kyra said.

"Why do you blame me?" Alice wondered.

"How can you be so sure?" Cole asked Kyra.

"'Cause you know everything after all!" Sue barked sarcastically.

"Because he loves her! You wouldn't help someone who hurt me, would you, Cole?"

"I can't see literally everything," Alice murmured.

"What the heck are you talking about?" Cole rolled his eyes.

"Thanks to that they're in danger!" Sue snapped.

"You just wouldn't if you've ever loved me!" Kyra had tears in her eyes.

"It wasn't my fault!" Alice shouted back.

"What does that have to do with anything?!" Cole demanded.

While the two fights were going on the others could do nothing but watch.

"Kyra, I do not think this is the best time," Justin tried to tell her, just like the other three she was more focused on the fight, "they are arguing like an old married couple." "No, they aren't," Aki objected. "This is much worse," Dr. Taylor added.

"How long are they going to keep this nonsense?" Justin wondered.

"Kids, you can leave on later," Dr. Owen tried to stop them. Lucy sighed. "Leave it to me," she said, yelling at the kids, "STOP IT, RIGHT NOW!" They scaredly turned to her, stopping the fights. The death glare she was giving them made them take a step back.

"Look, I would tolerate this if we wouldn't be in this situation! If you want to know what's going on, then why don't you try to do something instead of fight with each."

"And how do hell are we supposed to do that?" Sue wondered, "our Dino-slashers are dead! Can't there something work for a change? First off, the communicators, then this!" "I know. I am trying to think what else we can do, but my mind is absolutely blank," Justin exclaimed. "What do we have you here for, genius?" Cole demanded.

"What's the problem, Ivi?" Kyra asked her brother. "I would contact Max and the others, but now I cannot..." Justin was doing something on his laptop, thinking about what he can do, then a lightbulb lit above his head.

"I cannot connect with their Dino-slashers, but I can try the Alpha scanner."

"I hope it's going to help," Alice said. "Okay, can you hurry up with that?" Sue growled

* * *

 **Akuno**

The three were dragged through the dark halls of the underground base, they wished so much never to return there. Rex and Zoe were struggling, trying to get the ropes loose, while Max was still out. Three little Alpha dinosaurs were walking with them.

They stopped trying when they noticed who's waiting for them and who she's imprisoning beside her.

"Reese!"

Zoe wanted to get up and run to her sister, but the Alpha Gang still kept her on the rope.

"Zoe! No..." Reese tried as well, but the strings didn't let her. "What the hell, Ursula?! I thought you said you're going to lose," she reminded her. "Hey, I've tried!" Ursula replied, "but someone had to screw it up!" She shot a murderous glare at Zander. So did Reese. "I told you not to do that! Why couldn't you listen to me, Zan?" He couldn't answer. "You have no idea what you've just done!"

"So, I guess we're here due to your capture, Reese," Rex realized. "Unfortunately."

 **"Whahahaha! This is so perfect! I've never actually thought you three would succeed. Even if all of you haven't tried. You're much better than my last servants."**

"Anyway, now that we're all here, Zepar can finally kill us," Reese murmured. **"Not so fast, my little marionette. Before killing you, Kami Ike must get her brother and grandfather to me and I need those three to bring me the three guardians, of lightning, sound, and wind."**

Rex and Zoe shot angry glares at Zepar. She continued.

 **"And in addition, I need the owner of the time crystal."**

"Hold on!" Rex said, "I get why others, but what do you need Alice for?" **"Oh, let me explain, traveling in time takes a very big part of my power, so I need to use that little girl."**

"Why traveling in time?"

Zepar smirked, looking at Reese, then at Zoe. **"I still need the last two people alive to have my revenge complete."** Reese immediately realized who she's talking about. "No! Zepar, please, not them. They did nothing to you!" **"Don't bother trying, marionette. I want everyone who witnessed my rise and fall, so I can get rid of you all at once. It won't be that perfect now the those four are gone, but they shouldn't have gotten into Drack's way."**

"But that still isn't all," Ed pointed out, "what about Seth?" **"Heheh... That guy? I've tried to get him, but it appears that he has double-crossed you again and he's nowhere to be found."**

"I hate when I'm right in these situations," Reese said, "if you three only listened to me." "But she would kill you," Zander reminded her. "You really are an idiot, aren't you? She wouldn't do that. She wants our child alive! She wants a new servant. Now you've dug up your own grave, literally."

 **"Funny that you mentioned that, marionette. You've done the same thing as them. You've given up to me only to let your brat live. You are blaming him, but you've done the same mistake. You had another plan, didn't you? A plan to betray me again. Nevermind. It won't matter anymore once I'll kill you all and rule this whole world."**

"Yeah, ain't happening," Zoe said, "Sue and the others are going to stop you." Zepar laughed. **"Them? I bet that the owners are going to foolishly want to bring you back to life."**

"They aren't going to fall for that," Rex told her. **"We'll see."**

Zepar snapped her fingers and three dinosaur cards were now in her hand. **"These are going to be useful."** "Paris, no!" "They aren't going to obey you," Rex growled, "the Akuno chips are all destroyed." **"I'm not going to use the chips."**

Zepar headed to them. **"Interesting. Why only the owner of the lightning crystal had to be knocked out?"** New ropes wrapped around the Alpha Gang. Zepar tried to touch Max. "Don't touch them!" Reese yelled at her.

This whole time chibi Terry, Spiny, and Tank ran around and bit off the strings around Reese's legs.

Zepar turned to Reese with a curious glare. "Don't you dare lay a finger on them, especially my sister!" **"And what are you going to do?"** Zepar snapped her fingers again. A black spike came out of the ground, scratching Zoe's cheek. She groaned little in pain. "Zoe! Zepar, you are so dead," Rex commented. **"Oh really?"** "Reese isn't going to let you get away with this," Zoe added. **"What can she do?"** Zepar asked, walking over to her puppet.

Reese was giving her a death glare and when Zepar was close enough, she kicked in the belly. **"Ugh!"** Zepar touched her wound, almost falling on her knees. "This is for both of them, my sister and my child," Reese told her. **"You..."** Zepar then slapped her with all her strength, making Reese's glasses to fall down. "Reese!" **"You bitch!"**

"I've warned you..."

Zepar grabbed her throat. **"Don't play with me! I am the most powerful entity ever living."**

"Yeah, the most powerful entity ever living defeated by three fools and three kids."

 **"You-!"** She held her throat tighter. "Your plan won't work, Zepar... Ugh...! The guardians are aware... They're cautious... And Alice...she can predict your every...move...you aren't going to get...to the past...they're going to stop you...and defeat you...once again...ngh!" **"We'll see."**

Zepar disappeared. Reese could finally breathe again.

* * *

 **D-lab**

 **"We'll see,"** those were the last words they heard from the laptop.

"This is bad... This is bad..." Kyra murmured. "Kyra, calm down," Lucy told her. "How can I be calm when Zepar's after Ally now?!" Kyra cried, hugging Alice tightly. "I don't know what's better, being used by Zepar or strangled by Kyra," Alice whispered to herself, getting sister's grip loose. She then sat on the floor, putting on her hoodie.

"Wait a sec, why aren't you three panicking?" Cole wondered, "she wants you dead. Nevermind. What do we do?" "I have an idea," Sue said. "Really?" "Yep. We're not going to sleep just like her!" Sue's scream woke Alice up.

"Hey... What the..." she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "What the hell are you doing, Komatsu?" Sue asked her. "Trying to use my crystal to see what to do not to end up dead," Alice replied. "This is not the time, Ally!"

"But sister is right," Justin told the others, "that is exactly what Reese told us to do." "What do you mean?" Dr. Taylor asked him. "Let me show you. I have recorded everything we have just heard," Justin said, doing something on his laptop, playing the audio.

"Your plan won't work, Zepar... Ugh...!" Reese's chocked voice came from the laptop again, "the guardians are aware... They're cautious... And Alice...she can predict your every...move...you aren't going to get...to the past...they're going to stop you...and defeat you...once again...ngh!"

"I assume that this is a message or at least something like that." "But a message for who?" Dr. Owen demanded, "she doesn't know we've listened." "I have no idea," Justin confessed, "anyway, she wants you to be careful. 'The guardians are aware, they are cautious.' And she wants sister to figure out what is Zepar's next move going to be. 'Alice can predict your every move.' That is actually the only we can do. Since the Dino-slashers are broken, we cannot activate the Dino-tector, creating a big disadvantage in case Zepar is going to send the Alpha Gang again."

"She's going to get them over my dead body," Cole growled. "That can very likely happen since we're dealing with the devil here," Sue commented

* * *

 **Akuno**

The ropes around everyone were gone. Zander and Zoe ran to Reese.

"My angel, are you okay?" Zander asked her, while Zoe picked up sister's glasses. "Yeah... don't worry... It's nothing comparing to what she has done to me before. You are an idiot, don't you know that? Why couldn't you just listen to your girlfriend? You idiot..." Reese kept repeating. "I know. I am an idiot." He kissed her. When he pulled away she was glaring at him. "Are you still mad at me? Or did you not like it?" he nervously demanded. "I-I liked it," she murmured, blushing, "but... Haven't I told you _not_ to kiss me in front of the kids?" "Sorry..."

Zoe gave Reese her glasses and she put them on, seeing everything clearly. She examined Zoe wound closely. "Reese, I'm fine," she muttered. "I'm sorry she did that to you, sis," Reese apologized. "It's just a scratch," Zoe assured her, "and you showed her not to mess with you. That was really something." "Thanks." They smiled at each other.

"Hey! Can't you leave that disgustingly sweet moment for later?!" Ursula snapped, swinging her arms angrily around, accidentally hitting Ed. "Ow! Why me again?"

The sisters ignored her. "Zoe, you still have the medicals with you, don't you?" Reese asked her. "Maybe..." "Let's treat you both." She looked at her sister and then at her boyfriend. "No, you don't have to, my angel." "No, you two are hurt. It won't get better if we'll just stand here," as she said that, her body, Zoe's Dino-slasher and her and Zander's wound glowed in the green light. "Huh?"

The wounds healed and the light died, everyone just stared. "What was that?" "The crystal..." Zoe murmured, "but I didn't do anything." "Was that me?" Reese wondered, "but what happened to that 'curse'? I thought no one around me can heal. On the other hand, that would mean that I myself can't be healed. The 'curse' Drack or Mary has sent on me very likely has never existed, it must have been the last crystal."

Meanwhile, Rex was trying to wake up Max. His best friend finally opened his eyes, his head aching. "What happened?" he asked. "We were captured by the Alpha Gang. Zepar used Reese as a hostage, so they brought us here," Rex explained. Max got up. "So, what are going to do now?" he wondered. "We'll get out of here and help the others," Zoe decided. "And how do we do that?" Rex demanded. Zoe looked at her sister, expecting her plan. The boys did the same. "I don't have a plan this time," Reese told them, holding Spiny, letting him bite off the strings, setting herself free.

* * *

 **D-lab**

 **"Did someone say 'over my dead body'?"** a horrifying female voice asked. Zepar appeared in the room. "Yeah! You better stay away!" Cole shouted at her.

 **"What can you do? Your heroes are trapped. You are doomed and they are as well."** Zepar showed them the Alpha scanners, throwing them to them.

"We aren't kidding!" Kyra joined, "you're going to pay for what you've done to Ree!" **"Where did 'violence produces more violence' go? Or where's your weak scared persona? Let me bring it back."**

Zepar changed her appearance into a brunette man with brown eyes, looking like an adult version of Nicolas. Alice, Justin, Kyra, and Lucy stared at him with their eyes wide opened. "You monster," Lucy growled.

 **"I take that as a compliment."**

Kyra's eyes filled with tears. "No... No, no!"

"Stop it!" Alice yelled at Zepar, her face red in anger. "How dare you take over his face?! He's dead because of you!"

 **"No, no, no. He is dead because of you."**

"Do you really have to bring that up now? If it wasn't for you he'd be alive! If it wasn't for Mary he'd still be here!"

 **"It wasn't my fault she fell in love with him. It wasn't my fault you hate him for being with her."**

"What did you say?" Lucy wondered, "he..." She didn't need anyone to tell her more, she figured it out herself. "He cheated on me..." A shadow fell in her eyes. "Ali, you knew about that the whole time..."

"Yes..." Alice said, "I've recognized Mary immediately when we all met her. I told dad I hate him just because of her... But I had no right to do that! He was under her control, but I've realized it too late. Rex and Sora have been the same, oblivious to their surroundings. He had no idea what he's doing. And because of my hatred, I let Mary shoot him! Hurting everyone... Because of me, Kyra wanted to..." She was crying in anger.

 **"Then it's your and Mary's fault."**

"No! You've forced her into that!" she shouted at Zepar, "you've made her and Drack into that! It's only your fault! But I won't let that be... For dad, Michael, Pheob Kato, Haru Shiraki, the Ancients, the two androids, Drack, Mary!" Alice was about to take her stone out of her Dino-slasher and send Tashi in a battle form, but Lucy grabbed her arm, preventing her from doing so.

"Let me go!"

"Ali, no."

"This is the only thing I can do for them! I see them dying every night and I can do nothing about that! I couldn't save any of them! All of that happened because I was unable to save him!"

Alice was struggling, Lucy held her arm tighter. "Ah!" "Alice Asuka Komatsu! Don't be like your father and use your head for once! If he hadn't died, you would never open your eyes or listen to the others around you, your siblings would never be like they are now. You have the power to see more than the everyone because you are able to decide which way is the best," Lucy told her.

"So, sacrificing others is the best way?" Alice wondered. "No. But sometimes you can do nothing about someone's fate and sometimes you make a bad decision like five years ago, but you know it could have been worse. You maybe can't save the ones who are dead, but now you have the power to save two innocent lives. Zepar wants to take that power away, you can't let her do that. _Save them_. You won't save just two lives by doing so but the others too."

She cried. "I'm sorry, mom..." "It's okay, Ali."

 **"Oh, stop it already! This is too sweet for me,"** Zepar growled back in her own body.

"Shut the hell up!" Sue snapped at Zepar. She was wiping away her tears with a tissue, Kyra, and Aki doing the same. "This so touchy moment."

"Um, girls, I don't think this is the best time," Dr. Owen told them. He then noticed his colleague having tears in his eyes as well. "Um, Spike? You okay?"

Cole curiously looked at his father. "What the heck, dad?!"

Dr. Taylor tried to hide his tears with his hat.

 **"You are a bunch of weak worms."**

"Let us see who is weak," Justin said, rushing to Zepar, throwing his opened thermos at her, burning her a little with the hot coffee inside. **"Ah-You little bastard!"** "Run!" Justin called before Zepar grabbed him.

The three guardians knew. Spike, Aki, and Dr. Owen ran to the exit. Lucy grabbed the Alpha scanners and headed after the guardians, dragging Alice with her, Tashi following. Alice gasped. "Mom, I'm going to need Reese's scarf," she said. "What are you talking about?" Lucy asked her.

"Trust me."

"Fine. Kyra, the scarf!" The singer confusedly looked at her mother. "Hurry up!" Kyra still only stood. Sue took the green scarf from her hands, giving it in Annie's mouth. She rushed to Alice and Lucy. Alice grabbed the scarf and continued running.

Tashi was already in the other room with the three guardians. Lucy pushed her younger daughter to them, threw them the Alpha scanners and pressed a button on next to the door, closing it.

"Mom? What are you doing?" Alice demanded. There was no answer. When she realized what is going on it was too late to do anything with it. She rushed to the closing door, she couldn't fit through the gap. She was watching her mother smiling on the other side. "No, no, no... Mom!" "Trust me," she said before the door closed.

Alice started to hit the door with all her strength, nothing happened. She was crying and continued hitting.

"Mom! Mom! Open up! Please! Kyra! Justin! Don't do that!"

Someone pulled her away from the door, hugging her from the back. "You said that sacrificing others isn't the way..." she murmured.

"It's going to be okay," Aki whispered. Alice stopped crying. She looked down at Tashi. Her partner nuzzled her, growling slightly.

 _"...you have the power to save two innocent lives."_

Alice turned at the guardians. If Zepar gets them, Kami and her family, and her... They're dead, alongside with the D-team, Alpha Gang, and two innocent lives, except for her. It's all in her hands.

Alice wiped her tears. "Guess Tashi and I are your bodyguards now if we wanna keep Rex and the others alive," she joked, "I'm going to guard the guardians, that's called an irony."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Dr. Owen asked her. She nodded, grinning.


	18. It's okay

**Akuno**

They were looking everywhere around them, but there was no way out.

No hole in the wall or a weak point, they couldn't even break through with the dinosaurs because the Alpha scanners disappeared with Zepar.

"Great! We're trapped here forever!" Ursula snapped, "or better until our death! That's not that far away!" "And the worst is that there's no food and I'm hungry," Ed murmured. "If you're going to give up we'll never get out of here," Rex told them. "But there is no way out," Zoe said, "we can't get out of here even if we wanted to."

"Not you too," Max exclaimed, "we must escape and help everyone! Longer we're here is more time for Zepar to imprison our families. And you don't want that, do you?" "No." Zoe shook her head. "But even if we'd get out there's nothing we can do, none of us can use a dinosaur to fight. Zepar has Paris and the others, remember?"

"We're going to get them back but we must get out first!" Max said determinedly.

"Maybe staying here is the only way," Zander suggested. "No," Reese immediately replied, "staying here can result only in our death. Once Zepar finds the rest, she's going kill us all or rather kill you and after I give a birth kill me as well. In the better case, we're going to be eaten by Terry and Spiny first." "What's better about that?" Ursula asked her. "It would mean that she hasn't found the others yet," Reese responded. Ursula just growled. "And they actually look hungry," Reese said. Terry and Spiny hungrily licked their lips, staring at the Alpha Gang. The trio scaredly backed off in the corner.

Reese and the D-team chuckled.

"Terry, Spiny, Tank you too, when we'll get out you're going to have as much food as you can eat, but only if you'll cooperate," Reese told the dinos, "just don't eat them, you would get yourselves a stomachache." "Haha! Very funny, blonde!" Ursula snapped. The two carnivores stopped their hunt.

"How come they actually listen to you?" Rex wondered. "Because I'm one of the fewer people who feed them."

The Alpha Gang stopped shaking in the corner and Ed noticed a big hole in the wall, 5 meters above the ground. "Hey, look!" He pointed at it. "That can be our way out." Everyone looked its way.

"Oh, maybe you aren't that dumb," Ursula commented.

"Thank you."

"Now, how do we get all the way up there?"

Zander came to the wall, the hole was too high even for him, the tallest person in the room, to reach it. "We can try a human ladder," he suggested.

"What else can we do?" Zoe demanded. "It seems to me like a trap," Rex admitted. "But still our only way," Reese murmured.

"I think I know how we're gonna get out," Max said as he was pulling something out of his fanny pack. "A lasso?" the others wondered, surprisingly staring.

"Yeah, there can be a knob or something it can be wrapped around," Max explained, "I just hope it'll work." He swung the lasso around and threw it to the hole, but it landed on Zoe's head. She gave her boyfriend a strange glare that was asking him "seriously?"

"Max, since you have the same aim as your dad I don't think this is going to work," she told him. "Plus are you sure there's anything the rope can be wrapped around?" Rex criticised. Reese took the lasso. "Wait, Max can be right about that. I have an idea.

A few minutes later, Ursula climbed on Zander's shoulders, balancing and attempting to throw Terry, Spiny, and Tank with the rope in the hole.

"Why does it have to be me?" she asked angrily. "Because you two are the tallest," Reese replied. "Oh, shut up, blonde!"

"Hey, don't talk like that to my sister, old lady!"

"Oh, not this again..." Reese sighed in irritation.

"I'M NOT OLD! STOP CALLING ME THAT!" Ursula yelled, angrily moving. "Ugh! Ursula, can you calm down?" Zander asked her, trying to stay standing straight, "I can't hold you like this." "Stop your fights at least for now," Reese said.

"I still doubt this is going to do anything," Rex admitted as Ursula threw Terry. The T-Rex landed in the hole successfully. "C'mon, Rex! We can't give up now!" Max told his best friend, "we're so close to the escape. This must work."

Spiny landed on his face next to Terry.

"I hope nothing's gonna fail as it usually does," Ed exclaimed. "You had to say that!" Ursula and Zander yelled when she tossed Tank and the rope, causing him to lose the balance and fall to the ground.

"Gr... I have enough of this!" Ursula shouted as she stood up.

"You okay, dear?" Reese asked Zander, helping him to get up. "I am now that you're holding me," he said and cuddled her, making her blush. "Zan, please not here," she murmured. He let her go.

"Terry! Wrap the rope around something and give us the other end," Reese called the dinosaurs. Nothing happened in a long time. "Give it up," Ursula told her, "they ran away and left us here. It was your bad idea!" "Be patient," the scientist replied calmly, "they know what to do. Dinosaurs are maybe seen as primitive creatures but that doesn't mean they cannot understand what you want. They can sense that someone needs help just like all living creature. Well... Almost all. I doubt Zepar has that sense."

"How do you know?" Ed wondered. "I've been working with animals and studying dinosaurs my whole life," Reese explained, "plus a dinosaur has been my only company for four months. You learn a lot from experiences like that."

"You are amazing, angel."

"No compliments right now, honey."

"Yeah, great speech, but we're still here and the dinosaurs are up there!" Ursula growled. At the moment, the other end of the rope fell down. Reese gave her a victorious smirk and crossed her arms. The green-haired angrily stared.

"Let's get the hell out of here," Zoe said, walking to the rope with the others.

"Everything okay, Ursula?" Reese asked. The Alpha Gang member looked away from her. "Why do you care, miss perfect?!"

"As I've just said, I see you're in some trouble."

"In a different trouble than being locked here with all of you losers, waiting to die?!"

"We're going to get out, but only if we work together, that requires even your help, Ursula. Anyway, thank you for wanting to save me and the kids."

"About you... Zander wouldn't stop sobbing if anything happened to you. I had no choice."

"I still think it could be a trap," Rex said. "We can't know until we try." Max grinned.

Ed took the rope, slightly pulling it. It seemed to be able to hold them. He decided to climb it, but when he did, the ground started to shake. The floor was quickly being pulled from the other side of one of the walls, disappearing. They all panicked.

"Everyone, grab the rope!" Max shouted. They held a part of the rope. When they were standing on the edge of the disappearing floor, they couldn't do anything. They all slipped, falling into the blank space under them.

The rope everyone was still holding saved their lives, while burned their palms slightly.

"Are you guys okay?" Max asked everyone. "I guess for now..." Zoe nervously answered. The darkness below them made her feel uncomfortable.

"Well, guess it really was a trap," Max admitted. "How many times I've said that?" Rex annoyedly demanded. "Yeah, you can keep your 'I told you so'!" Zoe commented. "Maybe if you listened to me, we wouldn't be hanging here!"

"Kids, stop it!" Reese, hanging at the end, yelled at them. "Let them fight, blonde," Ursula told her, "meanwhile we can just hang out. Or you can finally move, Ed!" "I-I can't..." he murmured, his voice shaking. He was the first one, the closest to the exit, but one look down made him unable to move.

"Move or I'm going to hit you!" Ursula threated him.

"You're going to hit me anyway!"

"Just hurry up, Ed!" Zander joined, "and we'd be really grateful if you wouldn't fall this time."

He listened to his adoptive siblings and carefully climbed up. Once he was in the corridor with the dinosaurs, he collapsed to the floor, glad that he's safe.

Next one was Max, helping Zoe, and then Rex. Zander hardly crawled up and Ursula after him. She then surprisingly offered Reese the hand and pulled her up.

"Thank you."

"Don't get used to it!"

"Don't worry, I won't." The women smiled at each other.

"Let's get out of here before something worse happens," Zoe said.

The guys didn't listen to her. "So, this activated the trap," Rex murmured, looking at the only knob in the corridor. The rope was wrapped around it. "It's a lever, we must have accidentally pulled it."

"So, we almost died because of your idea, blonde." Ursula turned hatefully to Reese. "We're making some progress in our escape, aren't we?"

"Um... Hey?" Zoe tried again. All the guys totally ignored it.

Zoe sighed. "Calm down, sis. Soon you'll learn that this is usual for the men," Reese told her, "they sometimes pretend not to hear us. That's why you can't really rely on them." "I see what you mean," Zoe admitted.

"That's not true, my angel," Zander objected. "Really? If you've listened to me, we wouldn't be here," Reese reminded him, "let's go before Zepar comes back." She headed to the dark. "Are you going to just stand here?" They caught up with her...

* * *

 **The town**

The three guardians, Alice, and Tashi headed to the Alpha Gang base. The sky was devilishly bloody red, it looked like from some apocalyptic movie, as the end of the world.

Alice was trying to make her Dino-slasher working, but it didn't respond to anything as if it completely turned off. If that was just the only problem they had, with the D-team trapped and the others in the D-lab fighting Zepar they had enough of troubles.

She sighed in frustration. Tashi, hidden in her jacket, looked worriedly up at her. "Are you okay?" Aki worried. "Huh? Y-yeah," Alice replied, smiling slightly at her, "sure better than the others. How big chance they have against Zepar? They can end up dead and once again I can do nothing to stop that..." "Alice, your mom wanted you to trust her," Dr. Taylor reminded her, "they're going to be fine."

"I'm just not sure if leaving them was a good idea and even if I can't change that, Sue was right. I could have prevented capturing of Rex and the others. I don't wanna imagine what can Zepar do to him..." "You're worried about Rex, aren't you?" Dr. Owen asked the teen. "O-of course I am," she answered. She blushed and put on her hoodie to hide it when she realized what she agreed to. "I-I mean we're all worried about them, right? Yeah, but... itisn'tjustthat! I..." The adults stared at nervous and embarrassed Alice curiously. She took a deep breath.

"My crystal can summon memories or ghosts of the dead ones and Rex and I talked to his biological parents and I promised to them to take care of Rex," Alice's face turned redder while explaining, "but I've broken it, I broke that promise."

"They'd sure be proud to have you as their almost daughter-in-law," Dr. Owen told her, "I know I am." The situation couldn't get more awkward for Alice. What he just said would make her his adopted son's potential future wife.

"Eeeeeek!" Alice screeched, pulling the ears of the hoodie, "nooohooohoooo! No one has ever called me like that outside of my dreams. Don't let him knooohooow, I would be doomed. He would never want to see me again."

She noticed they are watching her. She cleared her throat and got a hold of herself, her face losing the red color.

"Aww, I remember being the same at your age," Aki chuckled. "I bet you didn't have to save your crush from the devil herself," Alice murmured, "...just don't mention any of this in front of the others, I beg you."

"Can't you stop whimpering for once, sis?" a boyish voice behind them asked. They turned around. A brunette boy with Alice's face approached them. "Nicolas? Oh, great. And I thought we had enough problems," Alice commented.

"What's up, sis? Shouldn't you be in the D-lab with mom, Kyra, and Justin? Or did you abandon them as you did with dad? You let them die."

"Wait, how do you know about that?" Alice asked her twin, "Nicolas, what do you want?" Nicolas grinned, hiding his hands behind his back. "I want to," he started and swiped the card behind him. Ria the Crylophosaurus appeared. "Capture you four and bring you to Zepar."

"You traitor!" Alice yelled at him. Ria looked at the guardians curiously, her sharp teeth close to them.

Alice took the stone plate from her Dino-slasher, changing Tashi in a card and summoning her to the battle.

The Pachycephalosaurus kept Ria away from everyone.

"Why are you doing this?" "Oh, sis, haven't you noticed yet? I want you dead. And Zepar promised me to bring dad back if I'll do what she says," Nicolas replied. "You idiot..."

Alice turned back to the guardians, tossing her Dino-slasher and Reese's scarf to them. "Get to safety. We'll take care of Nicolas and Ria!" The guardians refused, but Alice kept trying to convince them. "Run! And keep the Alpha scanners and the scarf, you're going to need them, or rather need what they contain. Go until you have time! I don't plan to let him capture me, not when two lives depend on me."

The three guardians unsurely left.

"Let's do it quickly, bro."

"I recommend you to keep that jacket on, sis, the winter's coming." Nicolas swiped a move card

* * *

 **Akuno**

They kept walking through the endlessly looking corridor. Max was leading the way with his visor turned on as a flashlight. "I don't think this is the way out," Zoe admitted. "What else would it be?" Max asked her. "Another trap," Rex replied before she could, "I doubt Zepar would just leave a window there if it wasn't a trap." "But we're getting somewhere," Max said.

"Well, if some people hadn't surrendered, we wouldn't be here in the first place," Ursula growled. Zander turned to her.

"We had no other choice! And you two gave up as well."

"We maybe did, but we've tried not to capture the brats because they could have helped us," Ed tried to explain.

"Don't argue you three," Reese said, but it did nothing. She annoyedly sighed. "Stop arguing like little kids," she raised her voice. The Alpha Gang looked at her. "I have enough of this. Stop fighting each other already. No, you're worse than little children, someone tells you to stop and you'll do it again after a while."

"I'm sorry, angel. If they hadn't brought that up-" "Oh no, you don't, Zan! Don't throw the blame back and forth," Reese told her boyfriend, "start acting like an adult already." "What do you mean?" Zander asked her.

"I mean that you're going to take responsibility for your actions and not blame your siblings. We all are here because of you and me. We've made mistakes and the others shouldn't pay for that."

"Those weren't mistakes. We saved our child, I saved your life, my angel."

"Zan, realize that the lives of our families are on the line! Just try to think and stop nonsensically saving my life."

"I won't stop saving you because I love you, Reese! I wouldn't have to save you if hadn't surrendered in the first place."

"I had to... It was a mistake, but I had to."

"Why?! To save that brat inside you?"

Reese's eyes widened in shock, she's never thought she would hear him call their child like that.

"You've wanted to sacrifice it and yourself anyway!"

She touched her belly. "That brat is yours," she snapped coldly. She turned away from him, walking away.

"Reese?" Zoe touched sister's shoulder, but she shook it off and continued walking in the darkness. The others had nothing to say.

"Angel...?" Reese turned back, emotionless glare.

 _"Please, don't hide your emotions..."_

Tears filled her eyes. "Reese, are you okay?" Zoe worried. "Yeah..." "You see what you did?!" she yelled at Zander. "Zoe, stop," Reese told her, wiping away her tears, "it's fine. Couples usually argue."

"But you're crying!"

"Hormones. Remember that Kyra has mentioned an emotional instability. I'm fine. I should make it up to you after we'll get out. This is all my fault after all..."

"Getting out of here is enough," Ed said. "I would be glad if we'd make it out alive," Ursula murmured. "I'll make sure we will," Reese assured them...

* * *

While the other groups tried to get to safety, Rod's Torosaurus still fought Kami's new Allosaurus Atrox.

Atrox tried to bit Torosaurus' neck, while he hit her several times with his horns. Atrox grabbed his tail with her mouth, throwing him away, then stomping on him.

"Laura! Stop!" Rod shouted. "You can try as you want, but she is not coming back," Kami told him, "the power of the cosmos stone is bigger than your words." Then some of her memories flashed before her. "Ugh!" She touched her head. "What is...what is going on?"

"Laura, snap out! This is enough!" Dr. Z yelled. "Why should I do that?" Kami demanded coldly, "since when do you care, grandpa?! I've lived a hundred years without anyone who would care! I've been all alone...You could have done something to find us, grandpa! But you did nothing. You didn't even try!" She started to cry, her appearance glitched between Kami and Laura.

Atrox started to act wilder and run faster.

"Why didn't you do anything?!"

"That's not true!" Dr. Z snapped, "I've spent nights and days trying to fix the time machine! But I couldn't do that alone! You came back before any attempt was successful!"

Laura fell to her knees, crying as a little child she actually was now.

Atrox was raging, attacking everything she was. The Torosaurus protected Rod and the others, but Atrox was stronger as Laura cried.

"Maybe you two should go to her," Ellie told the guys. They obeyed her. Rod and Dr. Z came over to the crying girl, hugging her, trying to comfort her. They took off her cape carefully, so no one will touch the cosmos stone.

The siblings turned their dinosaurs into cards. As Laura stopped crying they heard a growl. Ellie squeaked. "What was that?!"

"Another dinosaur?"

"I think we should get out of here," Laura said.

They saw a big shadow moving towards them. As it came quickly closer they could clearly see its shape. If it was a dinosaur it wasn't a normal one.

It ran on two legs, with a long mouth, even longer neck, and a spine on its back.

Rod quickly grabbed Ellie and dragged her to the others. He then touched every one of them and in the next moment, they disappeared.

* * *

No one said a word until they met a dead end. There was a computer with several monitors, but nothing else, no exit.

"Great! Who said that we're going out?" Ursula snapped. "There must be a way," Max said, trying to get behind the computer.

"Give it up, Max," Zoe told him. "We can't get out, admit it," Rex added, "Zepar wouldn't leave an exit here if she'd want us dead." "Maybe she would," Reese said, "it seems like she's testing us. Why else would she put this here? We must figure out how to find another way using this computer. It's so conveniently placed here. It's supposed to be in a control room on the highest floor, isn't it, Rex?" "Yeah, but Justin said he broke it to stop J, I don't think it's going to work."

"We can't know if we don't try."

Reese turned on the computer, one monitor lit up, it was just static. After a while, a glitchy face appeared. Pale, non-human looking skin, bloody red eyes, and same colored hair.

"Hello," it said with a robotic voice.

"J."

"What are you doing here?" Max demanded, "all communicators were destroyed, Reese has deleted you." "Not all communicators were," J replied, "I later got plugged into D-lab's computer again and then released." "Released? What does that mean?" Zoe asked him. "It was my fault," Rex started explaining, "when I visited the D-lab and turned on the power, I woke him up. He's the virus that infected all AIs and disabled Jonathan and Helga so they couldn't fight against Drack."

"It was your fault?!" the Alpha Gang snapped. "If that didn't happen, none of you would be born," J said, "it was an important moment in your histories. I had to."

"Anyway, J, are you going to help us or report us to Zepar?" Reese asked the program. J smiled evilly. "Of course, report you," he responded, "I'm actually doing it right now." "No, you aren't, J," Reese said, "she'd be here by now if you'd did that." "I don't like when you do this," J murmured.

"So, are you going to get us out?" Ed demanded. "Huh? Of course not," J replied, "why would I do that?" When everyone glared sadly at him, his face glitched. He looked scared of something, no one understood why.

"W-well, I probably can let you continue on your way," J nervously chuckled. "J? Did something happen?" Max wondered. J said nothing. "A bug of his program?"

"J, truth."

"Fine. I have infected those two Androids, that is true, but what you don't know is that I've downloaded their memory banks before they were destroyed."

Reese's eyes widened, she realized what that means, but she seemed to be the only one.

"And what does that mean?" Rex asked him. "That means J has all their memories, their personalities, their functions inside him," Reese explained, "we can bring them back if we'd get the data out of him." "Are you serious?!" everyone asked her, she nodded. They smiled.

"To be honest, I would like to get rid of them, she's creeping me out," J admitted. "I'd say that you'll get used to it, but you won't," Ursula told him.

"I'm going to help you, but only because these two force me to," J exclaimed.

An exit opened on a wall behind them. "Thanks, J."

Reese silently stared at the monitor, while others were ready to go.

"You guys go, I'll catch up with you later," she said. "What are you talking about?" Zoe asked her. Reese ignored her. "J is an ultrasound possible here?" "Reese, we don't have time for that," Max told her, while J replied, "Sure."

"You all are trapped here because Zepar promised to save it. Because of me," she reminded them, touching her belly, "I need to know if the baby is okay if putting you all in danger was actually worthy...I need to know..." The D-team smiled softly and sympathetically at her. The Alpha Gang looked at each other, they felt bad for leaving, but mostly they knew they wouldn't get far without the D-team...

* * *

 **The Alpha Gang base**

The three guardians arrived at the safety, explaining what happened to everyone. The group grew bigger from the D-team last saw them. Except for the owners Andy, Ema, Niki, Sabi, Dengyo, Dark, and Kenji with their partners Aaron, Ellen, Stegi, Star, and Shadow, the guardian Cruz with his Allosaurus River already used to the future there was a few people they wouldn't expect, Bel and the rest of the guardians and former guardians; Zakuro, Sora, Wendy, and Jeff. As Lucy they had no idea how they got into the future, they just suddenly passed out.

"I kinda expected that ignorant to betray us," Ema admitted. "Well, I don't think Nick would do that," Niki objected, "just why would he even do that?" "Because he's an idiot," Sabi murmured. "According to what he said, Zepar promised to bring his father back," Dr. Owen remembered. Wendy looked sadly away.

"Again. Why would he do that?" Kenji wondered, "Rex wanted that too and Zepar broke that promise. How come Nicolas doesn't know that?" "I guess no one told him," Dengyo said. "Oh, of course, we had to warn him that he shouldn't trust a bad guy," Ema commented sarcastically.

"Well, Nick wouldn't do that," Niki said, "so, I can't just stand here!" She looked determinedly at Stegi. "Niki, don't you dare!" Sabi yelled at her. "So, am I suppose to leave Nick and Alice there? No way! When you love someone you'll do anything for them."

The blonde ran out. "Nicole! Star, we go after her." Sabi and her Dilophosaurus headed to the exit, but Andy stepped in her way. "What are you doing?" "I won't let you," he told her, "have you seen that devilish sky? I'll help Niki, you stay here." He kissed her hand. "Don't worry." He and Aaron rushed out.

"Idiot."

"Out of all people, they are the only ones Nicolas would listen to," Bel said, "they'll be fine."

* * *

 **Akuno**

Reese was lying on a table, her shirt unzipped.

Everyone nervously waited, then something black and white lit up on one monitor, it caught their attention.

Reese stared at it for a while, her eyes filled with tears. During that J was explaining things no one of them understood, in the end, he summarized it in, "It is okay". They sighed in relief.

"Why are you crying, sis?" Zoe wondered, "J said that the baby is okay, there's no reason to be sad." "Heh. I'm not sad," Reese chuckled, smiling at her sister, "not at all." She couldn't keep her eyes off the monitor.

"I don't think I've ever seen her like this," Rex said. "How? Happy?" Max wondered. "Not really. I mean so full of emotions." "Kyra said that it wouldn't be surprising if Reese would suddenly start crying or laughing," Zoe remembered, "can you believe that what we see is a new life? That all of us were just this." "Now that you mentioned it...It is kinda magical," Max admitted, "and I'm glad to see Reese happy like that." The D-team smiled at each other.

Zander came slowly closer to the monitor, a wonder on his face. He reached his hand to the dot that's supposed to be his child. His fingers touched the monitor. "This is..."

Reese took his other hand gently, he turned to her. She nodded. "I think you'll feel it better here," she said, smiling. She put his hand on her belly. He still had that wondering glare. "Thank you for it."

He didn't know what to say to her at all, he was too amazed by their child and her beauty.

"I'm shocked by seeing it too, don't worry," she told him, "I know I've been harsh to you, not just now, but the whole time, but please, talk to me." She squeezed his hand. "My angel...Reese, I'm speechless," he admitted, "it's unbelievable, like you...I'm sorry for calling it a brat, it was too much." Tears streamed down his face, he looked back at the monitor. "I can't believe we actually created this...Parie...Gabriel...No matter the gender, it's ours and I bet it's going to be as beautiful as you, my angel."

Reese sat up, Zander knelt down beside the table, looking up at her. "Sorry for what I said," she said, "you maybe act childishly, but I love you for who you are, I don't want to change you. This all is my fault. I naively thought I can outsmart Zepar despite it failed the last time. I brought you into this." He stood up, leaning his forehead on hers, looking into her eyes. Tears were still running down their faces.

She suddenly took off his sunglasses, looking straight into his brown eyes. "You're losing so much looking at the world through these, you know?"

Everyone surprisedly stared, it was the first time they've seen Zander without his sunglasses.

"Wait, you have brown eyes?" Ed wondered. "Whoa, I guess I win the bet then," Ursula murmured. "Bet? What do you mean?" Zander asked her. "After Dr. Z took us we bet with him and Daniel what your eye color is," Ed explained, "I thought blue."

Zander sighed and turned back to Reese.

"Listen to me, Reese, it wasn't your fault. We would be trapped here even if you hadn't surrendered because we all would come here to find you and save you because we care about you. I'll never let you hanging, we're a team."

She nodded. "You and me."

"No," he shook his head, smiling at her, stroking her cheeks, "you, me, Ursula, Ed, Zoe, Rex, Max, Spiny, Terry, Tank, Sarah, Chomp, Ace, Paris, Ellie, Kyra, Parie-" "Gabriel, everyone," she finished instead. He smiled. "Our friends, we're in this all together no matter what. It's just a few of us here, but-" "We're still one team and we'll get out together. See, Zan? We even finish each other's sentences."

The couple chuckled together, they kissed each other.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Then a robotic voice broke the romantic moment between the future parents. "Oh, fuck this romantic shit!" J snapped. Reese shot a murderous glare at him. "Reese, no. Whatever you want to do to him, please, don't do it," Zander begged her. "Grr. Let me tear a hard disk out of that comp!" she growled, "I'm going to shatter it into million pieces." "Reese, no." Zander tried to hold her back. "We need him and he still has the data of Helga and Jonathan, you can't destroy him now." Reese sighed, giving it up. "Fine."

"If I'm going to help you, you're going to need this," J said as something green dropped from a small ceiling trapdoor. It hit Max's head. "Ow!" "What is that?" Rex asked. Zoe took it, immediately recognizing it. "It's my communicator."

"So, that's how you've 'survived'," Reese realized, "when I kept Zoe's communicator I hadn't realized that you're still inside." "Yes, it's all about you, creator," J said from the communicator, "can we go?" "That's what I was about to ask," Ursula exclaimed...

* * *

 **The Alpha Gang base**

In the next moment, Dr. Z, Rod, Laura, and Ellie appeared in the room. "That was a close one..."

"I never teleport again," Ellie murmured, "ever...!" They noticed the others watching them. "Zak? What are you doing here?" Laura demanded, changing into Kami. "I have no idea," Zakuro replied.

"Why are you here?!" Dr. Z snapped, "this isn't a place for the public."

Rod noticed the red sky outside. "What is going on?" He turned to the others. They explained in how big danger part of them is.

"So, they're going to stay alive as long as we keep you away from that crazy woman?" Ellie asked, worried sick about her friends. As the only person in the room, she faced a stressful situation like this for the first time.

"Hold, who are you?" Zakuro wondered. "Reese's Hikari Yori," Kami joked. "Wait, what?" "A long story."

After some time of thinking, Dr. Z decided. "Rod, teleport us back to that place!" "Huh?" "We're going to rescue those three fools and the brats!"

Everyone surprisedly stared at him. "I never thought I'll ever hear you say something like that, grandpa," Kami admitted. "With the luck of those three they all will get killed before that woman captures us all," Dr. Z growled.

"But we can't teleport where they are," Rod had to break that thought of hope.

"Why not?"

"Even our teleportation has limits," he started explaining, "we can't teleport on a place without knowing where exactly it is, we need coordinates or knowing the place enough. They fell down when we were on the lowest floor any of us know. They're who knows where. And Zepar messed the whole Akuno up, so none of us knows where to go."

"Then we can at least go help cousin and the others," Ema suggested. "That's too risky. If any of us teleported there Zepar can torture us to find out where the ones she's looking for are," Cruz said seriously, "sending Kami or Rod is a bad idea itself. And Dengyo, Jeff, or I have too much to lose and Zepar knows it." "As long as we don't know where Zepar is...we can only assume she's still in the D-lab..." Dark added, "we must believe in them..." "Agreed," Bel joined, "Sue and Cole are hotheads and they refuse to lose, they're going to alright." "Fine," Ema mumbled.

"Great, now that this is set, I have one question," Sora spoke up, "how come you can still teleport? You left the Akuno. Why do you still have your powers?" "Easy!" Kami smiled and teleported, when she was back she was holding an old book.

"A book? Seriously?" Kenji sighed in irritation.

Spike immediately recognized the book. "That's the book Reese read the night she disappeared." Kami nodded. "She gave it to me and I listed through it several times. It seems like a journal of a guardian, specifically a former guardian and part of Akuno." The eyes fell on Jeff. "Nope, it's not me. Now, stop starin' at me like that!" The criminal shook his head. They looked back at Kami. "I would say it belonged to one of the old guardians. Zak, I think you'd recognize this handwriting," Kami said and handed the book to Zakuro.

The black-haired guardian opened the book, knowing the handwriting from the first sight. "D-dad?! He wrote this?"

"Wait, Haru Shiraki?"

"Hold on, m-Kami! Dad was part of the Akuno?!" Zakuro didn't want to believe that her father would help that devil. Kami nodded. "How do you think I met him?" she asked her, smiling.

"Wait a minute, so, the guy who wrote this is Dengyo's grandfather. Why is it such a big deal?" Sabi demanded. "Haru Shiraki is one of the oldest known guardians," the guardians started, "he was the one who called us guardians first together in 1998." "Almost all of us," Wendy added, "I've been the only one absent because of 'parents'...if I even can call them like that."

"He decided to find everyone when he realized what Zepar actually is," Kami continued, "at first, he had no idea what to do with the crystals he protected." "After he warned us, he left the Akuno," Jeff said, "Zepar wanted to threaten him. That's why I started date Zakuro and turned a gun against her. I wasn't expecting Shiraki to step in the way." "He gave me fire and space crystals before he died," Zakuro sadly added.

"Can we get to answering the question?" Bel asked. "Simply, despite leaving the Akuno, all the powers remain inside us," Dengyo explained. "How do you know-" "I've read that book before. I've found it at home with some other old books, I've decided to hide it in the library to keep my family safe, then I've joined the Akuno as well."

"Wait, wait, wait, you knew that after leaving Akuno you keep all of your powers and you're telling us now?" Sabi asked him angrily. Dengyo only nodded. "Den, you could have got us out off those cells in the Akuno! I can't believe you've kept it to yourself!" "I agree with her," Cruz told him.

Before Dengyo could answer, something hit the base from the outside. "What the-"

Rod ran to the computer, checking the cameras and their records. The front of the base was hit by a lightning. "It looks like a move card!"

"Alright," Ema said determinedly, looking at Ellen, "let's go." But someone stopped them. It was Dr. Taylor, he remembered what Alice told them.

He took the iron plates out of the Alpha scanners.

"You don't actually plan to go there, do you?" Sora asked him, already knowing the answer.

Dr. Owen took one of the plates from his colleague, ready to fight as they both wished since they've seen these dinosaurs for the first time.

"I go with you," Rod decided, bringing them the dinosaur cards and move cards; fire and grass.

As they watched the men excited about the dino fight, both Kami and Aki wanted to help.

"Laura, no," her brother disagreed, "you've already got into enough troubles with the Akuno. I don't wanna lose you for years again."

"No way," Spike refused immediately, "it's too dangerous." "But-" "Leave it to us," he didn't let her object, "if the worst happened you have to stay safe. If Zepar gets even you, Max and the others are doomed." That convinced her to give up.

The three left.

"There is no way I'm letting them do that alone," Kami murmured. "They know Zepar is after them, despite that they go there. Why?" Ema couldn't understand. "We, as the owners, need to spare our power to the final battle when we all strike together to defeat Zepar once and for all," Dengyo explained.

"Those three can't make it," Dr. Z growled, he was about to grab the Alpha scanner with the last plate. Kami took it before him, lifting above her head, so he can't reach it. "Grandpa, you need to stay here," she told him, "Mrs. Taylor and I go help them and you're going to stay here. If she'd get us, you are the last one keeping us all away from the death. Understand?" He refused to obey his granddaughter, but she was right. One bad move would immediately kill him, his adoptive children, and all his grandchildren even the one who about to be born. He nodded.

Kami looked at the rest of the room. "Protect him if you care about Max and the others." She then turned to Aki. "I'll show you how to use that," she said as she pointed at the iron plate on Reese's scarf Aki was holding. Then someone took the Alpha scanner in Kami's hand. It was Cruz. "What are you doing?" she wondered. "One more person can go," he replied, smiling and taking the iron plate. "Dark." He tossed the small plate to his little sister. "Cruz, do you think that's the best idea?" Sabi worriedly asked him. "Dark is perfect for it, out of us all she understands dinosaurs the most," Bel assured her. "I'll be fine, I promise, Hermana," Dark said.

Kami took some cards; water and earth; and headed out to help the guys.


	19. Occupy mutant

**Akuno**

As J led the D-team and the Alpha Gang through the dark halls, they arrived in the throne room. It was a big room with a huge golden throne near the wall, lights shining on it, a crown was lying on the seat. The golden crown had two types of gemstones in it, purplish ones; garnets, and dark blue ones with light blue, red, and green spots; bloodstones.

From what Rex remembered these were supposed to be the only things there, but this time there were small figures lying or standing on the ground.

The first one to react to anything in the room was Ursula. She rushed to the throne, putting on the crown and sitting on the throne as the queen she is. She laughed, while the rest was investigating.

Terry and the other dinosaurs ran around, knocking some figures down, Tank stopped and sniffed one figured. She then turned around and hit it with her club tail.

Max picked a figure up, it had pink hair, green eyes, and a brown cape, it was a figure of Laura in her Kami form. "This is creepy," he mumbled. "Zepar likes playing with people," Rex said, "literally."

"I don't care about that," J snapped, "you wanted to get out, so don't slow down." "Fine, if we're going already then I'm taking these. Zander, Ed, take the throne!" Ursula called. The men sighed but still went to their sister, naively trying to lift the throne she was sitting on.

"How long are you going to enslave them?" Reese asked, annoyed by the woman's act. "The old lady will never change," Zoe told her sister. "I'm not old!" Ursula yelled. She then noticed three figure hanging over her head, their hair was blond, black and green.

 **"Get off!"** a female voice ordered her. The Alpha Gang jumped away from the throne as they noticed Zepar, the crown fell off the green-haired head.

Max hid the communicator so Zepar doesn't know.

 **"No one touches my throne and crown! Anyways, I'm glad to see you. You made it very far. You must really want to leave this cursed place. I have a way for you."**

"Really?" Zander and Ed wondered. "How can we trust that?!" Zoe snapped.

 **"I am not a lair."** Zepar's eyes fell on Reese when she said that. **"I'll let you out, but-"**

She showed them a coin in her hand, D-team symbol on one side, Alpha Gang one on the other one. **"This coin is going to determine who's staying and who's leaving. Let's simply flip the coin. All the members of the team that falls are going to be teleported on the surface near the town. Simple."** She tossed the coin to Reese.

The scientist caught their way out and asked: "And what about the rest?" **"Rest stays here. They still have a chance of getting out, of course, or it wouldn't be fair."**

"Why are you doing this?" Rex demanded, "you want us dead." **"I like challenges."**

Reese flipped the coin, as it landed on her hand she covered it, a little scared of who must stay behind. After she looked, she was silent for a while, then she spoke up: "The Alpha Gang leaves."

The D-team looked bit disappointed as the Alpha trio cheered.

 **"Great. You three and your dinosaurs are free."**

"Zepar, wait!" Reese stopped the queen. **"What do you want, creator?"** Zepar growled annoyedly.

"You said all the members."

 **"Yes. And this is all."**

"Not quite," Reese revealed everyone the red Alpha Gang symbol on the inside of her lab cloak. "You forgot about me."

"Wait a sec, you're a part of the Alpha Gang?" Max unbelievably stared.

 **"Oh, my. What an unexpected twist. You're leaving your precious siblings behind and saving yourself."**

"How can you do that, Reese?!" Zoe yelled at her sister.

 **"Yeah, how can you do that?"** Zepar repeated to tease Reese a bit.

Reese turned to the kids. "You three remember that everything bad is good for something. Don't forget who you are and what you must do-" She was cut off by Zoe's sudden hug. "You can do it, sis." Reese murmured as she rubbed sister's head. She noticed Zoe's carefully giving her something. She took it and hid it in her cloak, so Zepar doesn't see it.

Then, without any warning, Zepar teleported the whole Alpha Gang, leaving the D-team alone in the darkness

* * *

 **Surface**

The seven appeared in some building, confused.

Reese recognized that place as the first, despite never visiting it in the future. It hasn't changed a lot since it hasn't been rebuilt, she knew immediately they are at the airport. There was no one else.

"We should get going," she said, "the others-" "Why did you choose us?!" Ursula snapped at her. "What?"

"The brats were supposed to leave, you lied to get us out. You left your siblings behind!"

"Since when do you care?" Reese wondered. "You keep saying that we must work together and then you do this," Ursula growled. "You wanted to get out alive," Reese reminded her, "you're out, isn't that enough? Out of all of you, why do you suddenly care? You care only about yourself. Your brothers do everything for you and you aren't even thankful to them. No wonder Zepar chose you to kill me, you are the same."

"Shut up!" Ursula yelled as she slapped the scientist.

"My angel!" Zander worriedly grabbed Reese's shoulders. "Ursula, that's enough!"

"Tch."

"I think Zander is right," Ed agreed.

"Fine! If two are on her side then I don't have to be here," Ursula angrily told them and headed out through the glass door.

That whole time the dinosaurs were standing at the door, growling. Something was out there, they sensed it.

When she stepped out, the others noticed what caught dinosaurs' attention. It wasn't the red sky, but the birds flying their way. "That's a lot of birds," Zander said. "Those aren't birds," Ed corrected him as they flew closer. He was right. "Zepar," Reese realized, "of course she wouldn't let us out so easily. She wants to play with us. We must stop Ursula." The men looked at her. "Longer we stand here closer they get. I Go."

Before she made a step, the men ran out, grabbed their sister and dragged her back. "Hey! What are you doing?!" Ursula yelled, then she noticed what's flying their way and shut up. They got back inside and Reese closed the door. The bird lookings flew at them, crashing into the glass door. The glass was bulletproof and very solid, it didn't break.

The Alpha Gang panted, the bird lookings roared at them, scaring the three away. Reese looked at the non-birds, recognizing Pteranodons, at least partly. They had features of several different Pterosaurs. She's never seen anything like that.

"What has that monster done to you?" she murmured, she then turned to Ursula, "you see what happens when you do things on your own? They could have killed you."

"You don't have to lecture me!"

"You only get yourself into trouble," she continued calmly, "sometimes even life-threatening."

"The only one who got us into life-threatening troubles so far is you!" Ursula objected, "since the moment you appeared!"

"I absolutely understand your hatred. You've read that whole story; you know what I've done, and if that isn't enough; I'm taking one of the closest people to you away. I understand you, I've always been afraid of that too; someone taking my little sister away from me-"

"How can you understand?!"

"I can't completely, I know, I've never been through what you have. None of us have. People around you treated you as a thing, they hurt you-"

"So, that little brat told you?!"

"Dark? No. I've figured it out. What else would you two talk about? I know you don't want me to lecture you, but if you'll keep your act like that, you won't be better than those who hurt you. You treat your brothers like a trash; try to realize that! Your _real_ family is something irreplaceable and you should protect it no matter what."

"You keep saying that, but you still left the brats behind. You betrayed the ones you 'care about'! How can we know you won't do it again?"

At that moment, Reese understood. She looked at her boyfriend. "I've learned from my mistakes...I refuse to repeat them. And about the kids... One, I saved myself because of the baby. Two, I lied to get you out because I doubt you three would survive there, especially with all the troubles you attract. You three are literally an embodiment of bad luck." She smiled slightly. "The kids can at least use their crystals and they have J. I know they're going to be fine. And, so you know, I care about them as much as I care about you. You're like a family to me and I hope one day you actually will."

"But Zander would have to man up and purpose to you first," Ursula joked, her older brother blushed. Reese chuckled.

"Now, we must figure out how to get to the others," she said and turned to the door, "and without a stone or iron plate, we can't get through these. I wish I had my scarf." "What do you think these things are?" Zander asked her. "I don't know," she honestly replied, "but I'm certain they can't be called dinosaurs or anything related. These are Zepar's creation, they're mutants." "Do you have any idea what we should do, angel?" She shook her head.

"Maybe we can use an airplane?" Ed suggested. "Do you want to get us killed?!" his siblings snapped. "These things are going to attack once we exit the building."

"Wait," Reese stopped them, "Ed's idea isn't the worst. We have several different planes for ourselves and we also have a good pilot." She proudly referred to herself.

"No!"

"Why?"

"Those things have an advantage in the air, flying would be our death!" Ursula started.

"And I don't think you should pilot anything while you're pregnant," Zander added, "not mentioning that we would steal that plane." Reese raised her eyebrow. "Stealing is your problem? Should I remind you all Alpha Gang's actions?"

"But we're talking about you! You aren't like us. You're an angel."

"A little rubbery won't do anything. I already am a sinner, a liar, a traitor. I am the creator!"

"No, you're Reese Drake, nice, beautiful, caring, smart, strong. You aren't a villain like us. You're Little Genius. You're my angel, you saved my life."

"Zan, we don't have a choice. The glass can't hold the Pteros forever. If we'll fly away, we have a bigger chance of surviving. Plus I don't want to hide, I don't want to die as a coward! I can go without you."

She headed to the hangar.

The Alpha Gang unsurely stood there. A few roars from the Pteros got them to move after the scientist, their dinosaurs following...

* * *

Ready to help, Kami, Aki, and Dark caught up with Spike, Dr. Owen, and Rod.

"What are you doing here?" Rod wondered.

"You know the best you can't keep me away from the adventure," Kami replied.

"It's too dangerous for you," Dr. Taylor told his wife. "You don't have to be worried," she tried to assure him, "I'll be careful." "But still..." he nervously murmured.

"You should trust your lady a little more, Spike," Dr. Owen suggested.

"Whose side are you on?"

"Anyway..." Dark quietly said, "we thought you'd need help because Zepar powers up dinosaurs she sends against us...Six dinosaurs had to attack Mary's Carcharadontosaurus Feray twice to defeat her..."

"Dark has a point," Kami admitted, "you need help." "Fine," Rod replied, "but you'll get out of here once it gets dangerous." The girls nodded.

 **"Well, well, well, you came to die?"**

They all turned around, Zepar was standing there with a big smirk on her face.

 **"Let's do it fast."** She showed them three cards in her hand, then they started to glow and formed their enemy.

A huge creature with horns and sharp teeth... They all stared in confusion of what on earth is that thing

* * *

The cameras were still turned on, the others could see the scenario that was happening outside.

"Zepar is here!"

Cruz and Dengyo looked at each other. "We'll go bring Cole and the rest," they said before teleporting away.

After a few minutes, they both were back with the group from the D-lab.

Cole fell to the floor, his legs still hurt a bit. The others seemed okay except for one. Lucy was bleeding, her arm was cut, a claw was stuck in her wound. Justin fainted from the sight of blood, Ema caught him. Cruz was holding Lucy until Wendy rushed to her.

"L-Lucy!"

The teacher's breathing was fast, she groaned in pain.

"Sit her down!" Cruz helped Lucy to sit down. "Zakuro, first aid kit, now! Sora, Jeff, come to help me! We need to take that claw out!"

Kyra kept crying, Bel and Dark tried to comfort her

* * *

As Reese walked through the hangar, she passed by a few huge planes. Too big to fly quickly, she thought. She's a pilot for a while, for almost seven years, even though she hasn't flown since she became the 'creator'. She knows a lot about the planes, she spent her free time in the future by learning about the changes made to them throughout the years.

She needed a fast plane, they had no time to lose. They must warn the others.

The time felt like it's not even passing for Reese. The pressure she felt from having everyone's lives in her hands. She wasn't sure if they need her help or not, but she knew she must at least protect seven other lives. She thought it's her responsibility. Her whole plan was dangerous but also the best they had.

She stopped at a smaller plane, she knew this type very well, it was a tango.

She opened it and started the engine. She got the plane to move on the ground to the hangar exit.

14 feet made their way to the hangar, seeing the plane to move, they ran over to it.

When the plane exited the hangar, Reese had just a short amount of time to act before the Pteros noticed her. They all looked at the tango.

 _"This is bad..."_

She was about to get the speed on the runway, but she heard calling.

"Wait for us!"

She looked back, the Alpha Gang ran after her. The plane was still moving, thankfully not too fast that they wouldn't be able to catch it.

Reese opened the plane again, while the Pteros kept approaching.

"Hurry!"

The Alpha Gang threw their dinosaurs in first and then they climbed inside. Ursula and Zander helped Ed to get up and then the plane's door closed.

The plane rode the runway, nearly to the end the Pteros were too close.

Reese got the plane in the air, but at that moment several Pteros attacked it. The tango shook, still staying in the air.

They flew up as the Pteros followed them.

Reese saw other mutants flying towards them.

"Grab something," she recommended a few seconds before spinning the airplane upside down for a while to dodge another attack, then she flipped the plane back. During all of that, the Alpha Gang fell first to the ceiling and then back on the floor of the plane.

Reese flew from right to left, avoiding the attacks while accidentally smacking the Alpha Gang from side to side.

When she was sure they lost the Pteros, the move of the plane calmed down. She looked back at them.

"Are you guys okay?" she asked them.

"Yeah. We're just smack-seat drivers," they replied unison. Even in the situation like this they still had a little sense of humor. Reese smiled and turned back.

The trio stood up, their bodies hurting from the previous movements of the plane.

"So, no one of you needs to throw up?" Reese asked again. She got no answer to that. The next thing she heard was an angry voice.

"Why did you try to do this on your own?!" Ursula demanded, "you almost left us there!" "I'm surprised I hear this from you." "You kept banging this teamwork crap into my head for quite a while and you then do the opposite, blonde!"

"Huh? ...you know, I have a plan," Reese admitted, "with my knowledge, I'm the biggest threat to Zepar. I hoped that all the Pteros would follow me and leave you alone if you'd stay there."

"Angel, I already told you it's dangerous!"

"Maybe it is, but with the things I know we can help the owners to attack and defeat Zepar once and for all. I know it can work. It's all up to me."

"But you're not alone in this," Ed objected. Her eyes fell back at companions. "We're almost a family as you said, so we will help you." Her smile widened.

Suddenly, the Alpha Gang looked scared of something. "Watch out!"

Reese brought her attention back to the flying when then another Ptero was in their way, it was too late to dodge. It hit the plane, grabbing it and pecking it. Reese lost a control over the tango for a few seconds, the plane started falling, while the screams sounded through it.

Reese tried to get the control back, but Ptero kept attacking until it heard a loud roar. The Ptero scaredly flew away, letting the pilot lift the plane again.

That was close, very close. Reese's breath was fast, the experience was stressful enough for her. Going through this the second time was different only in the cause. The Ptero was in her opinion much worse because she couldn't do anything about it. For a minute, flashbacks from the first time of the similar accident kept coming back to her.

It was all pretty hard for her, Ace, and especially Rex.

Her hands shook a bit.

Ironically enough, the ones who caused it in the first place are right now in the plane with her. She knew it was them and they knew they crashed into her back then, but they never talk about it.

She felt a kiss on her cheek, she finally snapped out of the flashbacks. "Are you alright, my angel?" Zander worried, "shouldn't I pilot instead."

"No. I'm fine. Everything is okay."

"Are you sure? I can see you're not feeling well." He held her hand.

"You're here with me. So, everything is okay."

He blushed.

"I'll tell you if I feel sick or something if you're worried about that."

"I'm just worried about you, both of you. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I know. You've told me several times already."

"I want you to know I'd do anything for you two." He stroked her cheek.

"I know." She smiled.

He kissed her gently.

"You don't want me to crash, do you?"

He shook his head.

"Then leave this on the land." She chuckled

* * *

"Horns of a Triceratops," Dr. Taylor said.

"Jaws and body of a Carnotaurus," Dr. Owen added.

"Crest and legs of a Parasaurolophus," Dark murmured, "that can't be..."

 **"Heh. How do you like my Tricarnolophus?"**

"Tricarnolophus?!"

 **"I thought you'd like to see your little friends."**

"You mutated them?!" Rod snapped.

"But you said you hate people changing and playing with nature!" Kami reminded her. **"You are right. I've actually changed the Pachycephalosaurus' and Crylophosaurus' powers as well as the move cards' because the humans disgustedly changed them. But this is something different."**

"How different is that?!" Spike asked her.

"You didn't add any powers but mixture their DNA!" Dr. Owen growled.

 **"They're ten times stronger now. Better! I'll let them have fun with you. Bye for now."** Zepar snapped her fingers and disappeared.

The Tricarnolophus roared, ready to fight.

Aki hid behind her husband; that hybrid of those sweet 'dogs' was so scary.

"She leaves us no other choice than fight," Kami said. "N-no!" Dark objected, "we can't fight them... They're our friends...Let me at least try to stop them. I...I hear them calling, they're still there..."

"Be careful."

Dark headed towards the hybrid. "Chomp, Ace, Paris. It's me... Don't worry, we want to help you..." Dark's quiet voice was barely heard, the mutant didn't listen and attacked. It glowed in greenish light, using a move card.

"Dark!"

The Spanish stood still, she wasn't scared at all.

Before the mutant could attack, it was hit by three spinning flying saw blades. The Tricarnolophus roar in agony. When the saw blades stopped, three Deinonychus jumped off the mutant.

"Leave my girlfriend alone!" Kenji shouted as he suddenly appeared. He ran to Dark, standing in front of her to protect her. "Um... Kenji...? Wait... Where did you get a dinosaur?"

"Dr. Z gave them to me," Kenji replied, sparkles around his face, "I can finally fight with you!" "What? Grandpa gave them to you?" Kami was confused, "he wouldn't do that." "Yeah," Rod agreed, "and where did all those sparkles come from?"

"I hope you're ready for Naruto Uzumaki style because we're going to kick this thing's butt, believe it!" Kenji laughed determinately.

The others nodded.

"Dino/Alpha slash!"

"Fire up, Saurophaganax!"

"Grow, Iguanodon!"

"Spark, Torosaurus!"

"Allosaurus, show them hurricane!"

They all swiped their cards except for Dark.

Soon Allosaurus Artox, Torosaurus, Saurophaganax, Iguanodon, and Ankylosaurus showed up.

"Wait, you have your slash quotes?" Kenji wondered, "no! Rewind! Rewind! I want my quote too!"

The dinosaurs attacked the Tricarnolophus while Dark unsurely and scaredly shook. "Is it really okay to fight our friends...?"

"If you don't feel you can fight then come back to the others."

"...I hear them calling for help..." she whispered. She looked at the card in her hand. "...I'm sure you don't want to fight your friend too, right, Futaba...?"

Then she felt something nuzzle her leg. Her eyes fell down on a little Dilophosaurus. "Star? What are you doing here? Why aren't you with Sabi?"

 _"Because you need someone to reassure you. Listen to them, they want you to stop their pain."_

"Stop their pain...? You're right... Dino slash! Splash, Futabasaurus!"

Dark ran a card across the iron plate, summoning Futaba with his pool of water.

"Sometimes you must hurt someone if they wish for it..." Dark murmured, "we must separate them, change them into their cards..."

* * *

Wendy treated Lucy's arm, the claw laid on the floor, River licked off the blood.

Lucy closed her eyes shut from pain.

"Don't worry, it will be over soon," Wendy assured her.

"This is bad! This is bad!"

"Kyra, calm down!"

"Kyra, I need you to help me with the surgery," the doctor told the teen. "What?! Wen, I-I can't!" Kyra squeaked.

"Of course you can."

"N-no! What if I do something wrong? I don't wanna hurt mom!"

"Kyra, this is exactly what killed your father!" Wendy snapped. The fake blonde shut her mouth. "You're a coward and that's why you left him there!"

"Wen... That's not true..."

"I know you're afraid. I used to be too," Wendy said, "and after what happened to your dad...I blamed myself and promised I'll never let anyone die. That's why I wasn't able to operate Zakuro. I was scared of my fail on my friend. Don't be afraid of that, Kyra. If you won't do it, no one else would."

Kyra stared at her for a while. A memory of her father flashed in front of her eyes.

She nodded...

* * *

The Tricarnolophus was exhausted. So much for ten times stronger hybrid. It seems that Zepar never expected the three guardians to actually join the fight. The hybrid was prepared for the strategies Zepar knows. Since she's never fought these people with these dinosaurs it was a big surprise.

Was that their plan all along?

The dinosaurs used their moves for the last time, turning the Tricarnolophus into three well-known cards. They all changed their dinosaurs into cards. Dr. Taylor came over to pick them up when they fell to the ground.

Kenji celebrated the victory by jumping around and throwing references. "Woah! We did it! We defeated the final boss of this stage! It was like the Amalgamates from Under-"

"I don't think we won yet," Rod said, looking at the red sky. There was a dark bird looking cloud. "This is bad."

Everyone looked at it, they knew it very well, but some of them only from the inside.

Then Dr. Owen noticed something moving closer to the cloud. "Is that an airplane? Who would do something like this?"

"One person comes to my mind," Aki murmured to herself...

* * *

They were flying over Sanjo City, noticing the battlefield under them. Terry, Spiny, and Tank looked out of the window, growling, wanting to fight.

As the tango approached their finish, a dark cloud appeared in their way.

Two big wings formed out of it, its true form was revealed, a giant bird of dark colors; blue, green, violet, red, black.

Reese's eyes widened as she recognized it. She heard its voice.

 ** _"Creator! You can't escape me! There's no way out for you! No way out!"_** It looked like she's the only one who heard it.

"No way out...?" she murmured, "no...?"

"Reese, are you okay?" the others asked. Then they noticed the cloud, half-screaming.

 _ **"Come to meet your demise!"**_

This was bad. Reese immediately knew she must do something, changing the direction wouldn't be effective. She knew she must protect the others, there was no other way.

"Take the parachutes!"

The trio, a little surprised, looked at her. "Hurry! Before it attacks!"

They took the bags on but then realized.

"Wait, there are just three of them. What about you?"

"Don't worry, I'm going to be fine. Grab the dinosaurs and get out of here! Quick!"

"So, you're going to do this on your own again?!" Ursula snapped at her. "And after we told you we'll help you," Ed joined. "How can you possibly want that, angel?" Zander added, "you can go with us."

"Someone must pilot the plane. I would turn on the autopilot, but it was damaged during the attack. I must stay here."

"But-"

Reese turned back with an angry expression. "I'm not arguing about that with you!" she raised her voice, scaring them, "get out of here and save yourselves! Where's their selfishness when I need it...?"

Each of them picked up one of the dinosaurs and headed to the door. Ed was forced to go first. He opened the door, the air and wind filled the plane. He then surely jumped with Tank in his arms.

Zander hesitated for quite a while. "I can't just leave you here!" he told Reese, "I can't let you do that! Take my parachute and I'll stay here instead."

"No! Zepar wants me more than you. Plus if she still wants to kill us all, more of us she gets the bigger danger we're in!"

"I won't allow you to sacrifice yourself!" He came over to her, grabbing her hand.

"Zan, please, trust me at least with this. I know what I'm doing."

"Fine," he said after a few seconds of silence, "but promise me when I see you again you'll be untouched."

"I promise."

They shared a kiss and then he walked backed to the door. Ursula was still on the plane with them, curious how is that going to turn out.

Before Zander jumped, he turned to Reese again. "Wait, maybe I really should-" He wasn't even able to finish the sentence because Ursula kicked him out.

"You didn't have to hit him that hard," Reese said.

"Just don't get yourself killed, blonde." Then even the last Alpha Gang member left the plane.

"I'll try not to."

* * *

They kept their eyes on the plane as the trio jumped out. They parachuted their way. Panicking as they realized they have no idea how to land because none of their landings was actually successful.

Before they hit the ground their parachutes tangled into each other.

"Hey, are you three okay?" Kami asked them.

"Still alive..." they replied.

The trio and the dinosaurs got to their feet, taking off the parachute bags.

Zander stared at the plane worriedly.

* * *

"I'm sorry, everyone..." Reese whispered. She took something out of her lab coat, it was a Dino-slasher. She determinately glared at it. "Please work..." She put it back.

She then speeded up the plane towards Zepar

* * *

Everyone on the land saw that move.

"No. What are you doing?! You'll just get yourself killed!" Zander talked to himself.

No one but Ursula and Ed understood.

"What's going on?"

The only one who had an idea about that was Aki: "Reese is inside, right?"

The rest worriedly looked. The nodded from the Alpha Gang confirmed the thought.

In the next moment, the plane was swallowed by the Drak Pterosaurs as they terrified watched.

It took several minutes, but then the plane appeared again. It was falling down. It didn't seem to get the height back any time sooner.

Zander ran its direction. "ANGEEEEEL!"

The others followed him.

The plane hit the ground. They found it, the crashed tango was all in flames.

Did she even have a chance to survive this...?

* * *

 **Oh, pretty intense.**

 **Alright, back after almost a month. There are a few things I wanna make clear.**

 **Who uses which dinosaur? I'm sure I made it a bit confusing, so you probably figured from the previous chapters that Rod used the Torosaurus and Laura/Kami used the Allosaurus Artox. As for the rest, Spike has the Saurophaganax, Dr. Owen used the Iguanodon, and Aki has the Ankylosaurus.**

 **Now, Futaba. I know he's a move card, but as Zepar said '** **I've actually changed the Pachycephalosaurus' and Crylophosaurus' powers as well as the move cards' because the humans disgustedly changed them', Zepar separated Futaba, Tashi, and Ria into dinosaur cards and move cards.**

 **Anyway, see you next time.**


	20. Fire paradox

As the remaining pieces of the plane burned, everyone watched with horrified expressions.

Zander was throwing away the parts, trying to find his love. "Reese! Are you there?! Can you hear me?! Reese! Please, be alive...My angel! Reese!" He almost cried. He was so desperate.

The others joined him, trying so hard.

The search seemed so worthless.

 **"Looking for something?"** a female voice asked them. They looked up. Zepar was standing in front of them, almost laughing at their tries.

"Where is she?!" Zander snapped at her, "where's my angel?!" Ursula, Ed, Rod, and Kami were shocked, they've never seen him so angry.

 **"I assure you she's still alive for now."**

"But where?!"

 **"Don't worry, you'll see."** Zepar raised her hand. They heard voices approaching. When they turned around they saw Dr. Z, Ellie, Jeff, Zakuro, Cruz, Lucy, Sora, Wendy, and Bel levitating several feet above them. They couldn't move.

"Hey, what's that suppose to mean?!"

"Let them go!"

"Since when can you do that?" Kami wondered. **"I'm getting more powerful every second. With those three still trapped in the Akuno, I have you all with a little bonus of the guardians. This is perfect."**

"Fine, but can you please drop us?" Ellie embarrassedly asked. As the only one, she wore a dress. Her face colored in red with a thought of someone looking up at her.

"Don't even think of hurting them!" Dengyo, Sabi, and Ema rushed to them.

The three summoned their dinosaurs and attacked

Before Ellen's **Aqua vortex** or Star's **Poison** could hit Zepar she turned into the Dark Pterosaur again, still getting hit.

It seemed like nothing happened to her, but then they heard a groan.

They knew that voice, it wasn't Zepar's. A female figure formed in the Pterosaur, a half of the body was recognizable after a while. Long blonde wavy hair, purple eyes filled with tears hidden behind glasses, a white lab coat.

They all stared in disbelief. The other half of her body had the same colors as the Dark Pterosaur, it was almost melting, it was part of Zepar.

"Help me...Please...!" she begged.

The disturbing scene in front of their eyes took their breaths away.

Zander as the only one didn't hesitate and rushed to his angel, hugging her tightly. "You promised me something, Reese," he said.

"I know... I'm sorry..."

"Why did you do something so stupid?!"

"I thought it'll work... I was mistaking..." She hugged him back, sobbing.

"Shh... It's okay."

Then the dark matter, Zepar's true form was out of, spread over Zander's body.

Reese gasped. "Let go of me...!"

"No."

"Please...! She's going to take you too...! Save yourself, please...!"

"No. I'm not going to leave you."

He rested his forehead on hers, smiling. She cried more. "You're so stupid...!"

"If loving you is stupid."

Zander took a dying flower out of a pocket on his chest, the yellow rose Reese sent him. She took his hand with the flower. A green glow appeared around them, stopping Zepar's matter for a while. The flower started to bloom, getting back its original colors.

"I love you," they said at once.

When the glow disappeared, Zepar finally absorbed both of them.

Zepar transformed back into her human form. **"6 down, 13 to go."**

"What did you do...?"

 **"Heh. Shocked? And that still wasn't the main performance."** Zepar snapped her fingers and then everyone around but Ema, Ellen, Sabi, Star, Dengyo, Shadow, Dark, and Kenji turned to dust.

They couldn't do anything.

"What the...?"

"Cruz, Bel!"

"Mom! Dad!"

"Wendy, Hermano!"

"This is like the ending of the Infin-" "No spoilers," Dengyo interrupted Kenji.

* * *

 **20 minutes ago**

Niki, Stegi, Andy, and Aaron walked through the town, looking for the twins. They thought that once they'll hear sounds of a fight they're close. And they were right, that's how it worked with the Komatsu twins every time they were together.

They heard some two voices and felt cold, immediately heading to the source. They discovered the Pachycephalosaurus and Crylophosaurus with their partners. They were in mid-battle.

"Nick, Alice, stop it!" Niki yelled at them.

"Niki? What are you two doing here?" Alice wondered, "this is just between us."

"Just get outta here," Nicolas growled.

"No way," Andy replied, "we didn't make our way here to leave you alone. Nicolas, helping Zepar is the dumbest thing you've done." "So what?! Ria, destroy my sister, now!"

The Crylophosaurus rushed towards Tashi.

"Stop it!" Niki turned Stegi into his full form, stopping the dinosaurs. "Get out of my way, Nicole!"

"No!"

"Ria, attack her!"

Ria approached Niki with her jaws wide open. Stegi swung his tail, hit Ria's head, keeping her away from his friend.

Nicolas was about to activate a move card.

"Tashi, stop him!" The Pachycephalosaurus didn't even do anything when Alice's stone plate started to glow in the dark-red light. The red gem on the stone plate lit up and red and orange lights flew out of it. The lights became two male figures.

"Nicolas, stop it," the twins immediately recognized red figure's voice. "Dad...?"

"Sorry I've left you like that, but that doesn't mean you should do the things you do, son."

Meanwhile, the orange figure came over to Andy. "Hey, dad."

Niki and the dinosaurs realized they're in a very awkward situation in this ghost family meeting...

* * *

 **Now**

 **"Now, what do I do with you?"** Zepar asked the owners. "We'll fight of course," Ema said, ready to swipe her move card. "I'm with you," Sabi joined.

"Wait up, you two," Dengyo stopped them, "we need to make sure if the others didn't turn in dust too." "And we need a plan," Dark added.

They retrieved their dinos.

"Take my hand and I'll teleport us back," Dengyo said. They obeyed him.

He then felt someone's hand on his shoulder

* * *

They stood in a dark room the next second.

Someone else teleported them...?

"Where are we?" Kenji asked.

"Kenji, is that you?" Justin's voice demanded.

"T-turn the lights on!" Dark cried, she grabbed the nearest person to her. "Dark, don't squish me," Ema murmured.

"Whose idea was this?!" Nicolas snapped.

It seemed that all the owners are in the room.

"Hey, I think I have an exit!" Sue called, she walked through the door, suddenly it closed. The lights turned on in both the room where Sue was and the one where the others were. It was all so futuristic looking, even more than the base.

The others saw a monitor where J appeared.

"What are you doing here?" Sue heard from behind the door, then there were three different voices. She peeked and saw them.

 _"Girl...?"_

"Is it a good idea?" Zoe wondered. "No," Rex replied, "but it's for their safety." "Let's head to the town before Zepar attacks," Max decided, "Jeremy, will you make sure J doesn't hurt them?"

Sue at that moment noticed the fourth person standing beside them. A black-haired young man with glasses, she remembered him from the hospital, Jeremy Komatsu, Ellie's brother.

He nodded.

Max turned to his teammates. "Let's hurry up."

* * *

 **Later, the town**

The devil was looking around, thinking of her next move when she noticed the D-team walking towards her.

 **"What...? It seems you managed to escape. Impressive. But what do you three want here?"**

They stopped several feet away from Zepar.

"Let everyone go and you'll get us," Max told her. **"I can't believe I hear that. There's no way I'd refuse an offer like this."** Zepar snapped her fingers as before. Everyone she absorbed was back, looking confusedly around.

"Oh, you didn't do that, did you?" Reese growled when she realized what's going on. The trio looked away. "We had to..." Zoe murmured.

"No, you didn't! What is more important? Us or everything else?" as Reese reproached the D-team something wrapped around her wrist and dragged her down causing her to fall on her knees. She then noticed that everyone except for the trio Zepar was so desperately searching for is on their knees as well.

"Don't you dare hurt them." Bel ran towards the D-team but crashed into...nothing...? Like there was a glass. "Ow..." She backed away. Cruz caught her. "Mi Belleza, are you okay?" "Yeah..."

"Quit screwing around, Zepar!" Jeff snapped, taking out his gun pointing it at Zepar's head, "let them go."

"We said that you'll free everyone," Rex reminded the queen, "let go of the guardians and the Alpha Gang." **"I freed them, just like you asked me to, but they got caught again just like you three."**

Zepar looked at the rest. **"You can go for now."**

"I'm not going anywhere," Jeff growled. Zepar teleported in front of him. **"C'mon. Shoot me,"** Zepar dared him, changing her body into a brunette boy around Max's age, **"if you can."** Jeff's hand shook. "Michael...?"

 **"You wouldn't kill _him_ , would you?"**

"Motherfucker!"

"Jeff, don't do that!" Wendy yelled at him. "Shut up, Wen. It's not him." "But you're not the killer!" "I am, it doesn't matter anymore, once we'll come back to the present I'm going to jail anyway, killing her is nothing."

 **"Then do it."** As those words escaped Zepar's mouth, Jeff pulled the trigger, shooting Michael Miharu's head.

Some looked away.

Zepar turned back into herself, all the blood was gone, the hole in the forehead healed like it was nothing for her.

"What the fuck?"

"Let's get out of here," Sora suggested. "I-I m-must a-agree!" Ellie squeaked scaredly.

 **"Just go."**

Cruz and Jeff teleported them away.

Zepar was left with the D-team, their guardians, and the Alpha Gang.

She started her maniacal laugh. **Whahahaha! WHAHAHAHAHA! This so great! So great! Heh! This is the closest I can get to my goal, so I won't hesitate. Now, your summoning devices please."**

Max gave his Dino-slasher to Zepar

Familiar black ropes crawled on the rest of the D-team and the three guardians that fought before, taking three iron plates and two Dino-slasher.

 **"Wait. Where's yours?!"** Zepar snapped at Zoe. "I-I'm not sure," she nervously replied. The rope searched her body again, making her blush. "Let me go!" **"Give me your stone plate!"**

"I must have lost it the Akuno."

 **"You little..."**

Zepar grabbed Zoe's neck. "Let her go!" Max barked, running to her, but crashing into a new glass wall. He kept hitting it.

 **"Don't play with me!"**

"Gha-!"

 **"And I've honestly thought you and the creator have nothing in common, but now I see that you both are naively trying to fool me."** Zepar transformed again, this time she had dark hair, eyes, and coat, Drack. **"Don't you have a deja vu?"**

"Keep your hands off her!" Reese shouted. Zepar dropped Zoe, taking back her own form.

Max hit the wall again, but it wasn't there anymore, his fist going through. He and Rex rushed to Zoe sitting on the floor. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah...This wasn't the first time someone grabbed me like this..."

"Do that again and I'll make you wish you were dead!" Reese threatened Zepar.

 **"None of you can do anything if you don't want to break your wrists."**

"They maybe can't but I can!" a girlish voice yelled at the queen. She turned around and spotted a brunette with twin-tails and glasses with a little crack on them.

"Oh, hell no...Not this brat..." Ursula murmured.

"Oh, hell yes!"

"How did you-" "That doesn't hell matter now!"

 **"Hmm, the owner of fire crystal, right? What's your name?"**

"Me?" Sue wondered, "Susan Ogata's my name. I'm also known as the Ice Queen" She mocked Zepar.

 **"Susan Ogata. I've heard about you from Mary. We already met... You seem pretty brave and foolish to go against me by yourself. What do you want?"**

"I wanna save my friends!"

"Sue, forget about that," Zoe told her. "No!" Sue snapped, "I'm not letting you all die, especially not you, girl! I've promised something to myself."

 **"Hmm, what would you do for your best friend, Susan Ogata?"**

"Anything. I would give up on my own life for her."

"Sue..."

* * *

 _The brunette remembered their first met._

 _She had to take her dog to the vet. She was pretty young._

 _While waiting, her dog noticed a plushie dinosaur lying around and started bitting it, tearing it apart._

 _A girl about Sue's age watched with her eyes filled with tears. She tried to take it away from the dog. She picked up her dog, stopping him from completely destroying the plushie._

 _She apologized to the girl, trying to comfort her._

* * *

 **"If you say so. You can switch places with one owner then."**

"What?!"

 **"And if you choose the rest instead, you can save two of them, but no owner."**

"Save just a few of them?" Sue mumbled.

They looked at each other silently. The first one who spoke up was Zander: "Save Reese!"

"No," the scientist refused, "Sue, don't listen to Zepar. You can't trust her."

 **"Can't trust me? I am not a liar. I let everyone go as you asked me to, I just captured you again. For you, creator, you wanted me to heal you and bring your sister back. She has come back, hasn't she? And I've sent you here, where you were healed, right? And my first promise?"** Zepar turned to Rex. **"You've seen your parents again. I always fill my promises, but not in the way you would expect."**

"I'm not going to do that," Sue said. **"Huh? You don't wanna save your best friend?"**

"Of course I do, but that I care about her doesn't mean her life matters more than the others'!" Sue yelled, "I'm here to save them all!"

 **"Fine. Then any last words?"**

"Oh, hell yeah, I have two actually." She grinned her hands behind her back. "Dino slash!" Sue ran Annie's card across her Dino-slasher. The Daspletosaurus appeared from the red beam.

"I'll show you not to play with fire and the D-team!"

Zepar smirked, dropped the iron plates and Dino-slashers, teleported in front of Annie and changed her form again, it was an orange carnivore with black spots. "Rajasaurus!"

"We're not scared of you," Sue said determinately, taking her red element booster, "we're all fired up! Element booster! Dino-tector, on!" As she put the booster on her Dino-slasher, Annie equipped an orange flame looking armor. "Annie, you look hell amazing! Take care of her and I'll get the others away." The Daspletosaurus nodded and attacked.

Meanwhile, the D-team came over to the rest, picking up their Dino-slashers.

"And now what?" Max wondered, "how do we get rid of those ropes?" "You can try to use your crystals," Dr. Owen suggested. Rex took his light blue crystal out of his bag. "Let's see." He stretched his hand and the crystal started to glow. A wind blew for a while and the 'ropes' disappeared. They stood up and the D-team hugged their families, while the Alpha Gang took the iron plates and tried to escape, but crashed into the glass wall that stayed there.

"Are you okay?" Reese wondered. "Yeah..." the gang replied.

"Girl!" Sue punched the glass. They walked closer to her. "Don't worry, I'll get you out, guys. But I still dunno how..." She kept hitting the wall. Zoe laid her hand on her glass. Sue stopped punching, lying her hand at Zoe's.

"You did your best, you don't have to do everything," Zoe told her. "Girl...You know I'll do anything for you. Annie! I'm gonna need your help here for a while!" Sue looked at her partner, taking out a move card, waiting for dino's nodded.

" **Fire canon**!" Sue swiped the card and Annie shot a fireball at the glass wall, but nothing but explosion happened. The wall was still there.

"What the hell?!"

"This is the strongest thing Zepar's ever created, it seems," Kami admitted.

"Something must break it! It's just glass!" Ursula growled and kicked the wall.

"This maybe wouldn't be such as a hell big problem if cousin and the rest were here," Sue said. "What did you do to Cole anyway?" Spike asked the trio. "We kinda locked him and the rest on the Space Pirates' ship," Max replied nervously. The others sighed.

"The wall must have a weak point somewhere," Rod said.

"Hey, girl! Reese! Don't you have some powers from Drack you can use?" Sue demanded. The sisters looked at each other. "Powers like that aren't hereditary because he wasn't born with them," Kami explained, "but Drack or Mary's powers might do something about this."

"Mary's powers! That's it!" Rex realized. "What are you talking about?" Max wondered. Rex searched through his bag, taking a glass with a golden liquid. "What's that?"

"An explosive potion. Go away from the wall."

Everyone made a few steps back and Rex threw the glass at the wall. It exploded and destroyed the wall.

Zoe ran to Sue, hugging her and kissing her cheek. Sue blushed. "Aww, I'm the happiest person in the world," she said adoringly as everyone else just stared.

The Alpha Gang unnoticeably disappeared.

Sue registered that they're being watched and jumped away from Zoe, her face totally red. "This is awkward..."

The Daspletosaurus then roared, calling for help. They saw why, there was another dinosaur in the battle, something they've never seen before, another hybrid.

"Annie! You guys get the hell outta here!" Sue told them before running to her partner.

"Sue! She can't fight them both alone," Zoe said. "But we don't have our dinosaurs and you don't even have your stone," Rex reminded her. "You actually do," Dr. Taylor told them, giving the kids back their dinosaur cards. "Thanks!"

The boys headed to the battle.

"Hey!" Zoe yelled at them, they didn't listen. "Don't think about letting them go alone, sis," Reese said, tossing Zoe her Dino-slasher, "thank you for giving it to me. You've probably saved my life." Zoe looked at her confusedly. "Go help your friends."

Zoe nodded and ran to the others.

The trio summoned their dinosaurs. Chomp, Ace, and Paris appeared, ready to fight. They equipped their Dino-tectors right away.

Paris went to help Annie with the Rajasaurus while Chomp and Ace attacked the hybrid.

Sue kept her eyes on the hybrid the whole time, hearing voices from her Dino-slasher.

 _"Please...save us...please..."_

"I will," she whispered...

* * *

 **After battle**

The Rajasaurus and the hybrid turned into cards after getting hit by the ultimate moves. Raja's card fell to the ground and a strange dark smoke came out of it. The hybrid's cards fell all over the place while one small dino stood there, a green Compsognathus looked around and ran to the guardians.

Sue picked up all four the cards from the hybrid and Rajasaurus' card. She headed to the guardians with the others.

"A Compsognathus? Where did it come from?" they wondered.

The dino ran around and then climbed on Aki's shoulder. She noticed the red stripe on it. "Alpha?" The Compy purred and nuzzled her.

"He must have been part of that hybrid," Dr. Owen realized, "but why didn't he turned into a card?" "Maybe because the rest of the Compy squad is still active?" Zoe suggested.

"The hell even was that thing?" Sue asked. "A hybrid," Spike replied, "we fought Zepar's hybrid of Chomp, Ace, and Paris a while ago. A Tricarnolophus." "What?!" "And it isn't her only mutant," Reese added, "there were several mutants of the Pterosaurs at the airport." "Yeah, Cole, I, and the others fought something like this one in the D-lab," Sue remembered, "it was hell fast and the claw in teach's arm looked like raptor's."

"Lucy was attacked?"

She nodded. "Since Alpha was combined with fire dinos," she said as she holds up the cards, "that one could have been a Compy with wind ones."

"And how did Zepar even get Compy squad's card?" Max wondered. "...when Cole and the Alpha Gang tried to save me, he dropped his Dino-slasher, accidentally giving it a shock," Reese explained, "he took his stone plate out. He must have left it in the D-lab with the card and Zepar probably took it. It would also explain why the Dino-slashers suddenly stopped working."

"What do you mean?"

"They all can be modified through the computer with only one Dino-slasher needed. I've made them this way so it would be easier to upgrade their software, but I've never thought this could happen."

"Well, it would be hell awkward if I'd swiped and it did nothing," Sue commented.

"We know that," Max said, "J told us when we found Cole's Dino-slasher."

"Wait, J is still alive?" Spike wondered, "how?" "That's a long story..."

"Right now that killer program is looking after the others on that hell weird ship," Sue exclaimed.

"It was the only we could do, so they'll be safe while we save you," Rex said.

"I still can't believe you did something so stupid," Reese told the trio, "it is partly understandable from you, Max and Zoe, but Rex? Out of everyone you know the best not to trust Zepar. If Sue didn't come we all would be dead by now."

"Reese, they had a good intention," Aki said, "and nothing bad happ-"

"Maybe we wouldn't have to save you if she hasn't captured you," Zoe snapped at her sister, "why you always have to get into danger?"

"I'm trying to fix my mistakes and I'm facing consequences of my actions."

"Again? Why do you have to act like an adult?!"

"Because I am. I'm not a child like you anymore, Zoe."

"Leave on later," Max stopped them, "we must defeat Zepar in case you've forgotten." "I swear if anyone argues again Annie and I'll barbeque you," Sue growled.

"You stay out of this. Get to safety," Reese said, "and I'll stop Zepar by myself." "Again? Why do you keep with that?" Zoe asked her.

"Because this is all my fault. I caused Zepar's rise not just by the last crystal, but even the first time. You had to come back to save-" "It wasn't just your fault," Dr. Owen interrupted the scientist. She looked at him.

"I was there too, don't forget that. If someone's to blame for that it's both of us."

"But-"

"No buts, kiddo. You should really view this from a different perspective. This isn't your battle, but our war; you don't have to fight alone."

She sighed. "Thank you... Let's end it once and for all together."

"Oh, hell yeah! D-team ready to win!" Sue cheered. Everyone just stared at her. "What?! You don't have a battle cry? You really should."

"Alright, we'll bring the owners," Rex said, taking Max's and Zoe's hands. "Wait," Zoe said, summoning her crystal from Dino-slasher, giving it to Reese, "go heal the guardians." Reese nodded.

Zoe touched Rex's shoulder, ready to teleport.

Before they could teleport, a fast shadowy figure grabbed the trio and Dr. Taylor and disappeared.

"Spike!"

"Girl! The hell?!"

Suddenly, three dinosaurs approached them. One had a long mouth, even longer neck, and a spine on its back. The second one had big claws and a slim body. The third one was a carnivore with long horns, looking so much like the Tricarnolophus.

"Oh, hell no! We can't fight. Annie's still weak after the last battle," Sue murmured.

"If I just had Sarah's card," Reese whispered.

"No worries! The heroes are here!" they heard behind them. They turned around, seeing the owners ran to them. "We'll take care of this now," Ema told them.

Reese noticed that the four people she talked to a minute ago at the roof of one tall building. She headed there. "Wait, where are you going?" Aki asked her. "Save them from Zepar," Reese responded.

"And you go on your own again?" someone questioned. When she looked that way. She smiled at them.


	21. Angels can fly

They appeared on a roof of a tall building, Zepar was standing in front of them. Before they could do anything, Zepar raised her hand that was rested on her stomach a second ago, they were lifted from the ground. They couldn't move.

 **"I'm not letting you escape this time. I'm going to kill you right here, but before I do, I want to talk. I've realized it too late..."** She turned to Dr. Taylor. **"You're pretty worthless, but I must admit, hiding lightning crystal in its owner was clever. That's why I can't touch him."** She tiddled her head. "You should expect anything from anyone," he told her. **"Huh?"**

"We're still full of surprises." A grin on his face irritated her. This childish clown thinks he's a step ahead of her? How funny. There's no way someone's smarter, stronger or better than her. She's a goddess!

 **"Nothing can surprise me! I'm prepared for everything."**

"It didn't look like you were prepared for an owner to come to save us."

Why does he keep talking? Isn't he scared for his life? Those kids are silent, but he's not... Is he such an idiot?

 **"That won't happen again. Everyone's busy fighting my new creations."**

"Your creations?!" Max snapped, "you mutated dinosaurs!" **"Of course, I've used my sister's creations to make my perfect ones. They're going to destroy everything done by my failed creations. Humans. Such an awful kind... Wars, genocides... Selfishness, hatred! You humans, my creations are the reason I am like this. Gods take over personalities of what they created. I'm vengeful because you are! I seek power because you do!"**

"We're not like that!" Zoe yelled, "some people aren't like you. We don't kill anyone for no reason." **"Oh, yeah? Then why do you want to kill me?"** "You're trying to kill us and destroy all humanity," Rex said. **"That you have a reason for killing doesn't mean you aren't a killer! I'll do you a favor. Before I'll kill I'll turn into someone you want to see in your last moments. What do you say?"**

At that moment, Zepar got hit into the back, feeling like something's absorbing her power partly. She turned around, spotting a Saurolophus with its partner. The young blond woman stood there, this time with the green scarf around her neck.

"Don't touch my family," she said.

 **"Creator."**

"Reese!" Everyone's eyes widened, she was there to save them and Zepar won't let her walk away unharmed.

Reese touched the iron plate pinned to the scarf, calling the Saurolophus back in the card that flew in her hand. "Thank you, Sarah. I can handle it on my own now. Let them go, Zepar."

 **"Are you seriously retrieving your dinosaur? Wait, how the heck did you even get here? You don't have a teleportation."**

A slight smile formed on the researcher's pretty face. "Don't you know that angels can fly?"

 **"An angel?"** Zepar sarcastically chuckled, **"I've always found that nickname ironic. You're a liar, traitor. You are my sinner. You're no angel, no hero. How can he call you his angel?"**

"Because that nickname wasn't meant for the creator. Zander's angel is the one who saved him in the desert. Someone kind, not a lair, someone brave, not a traitor. That nickname was meant for the real Reese Drake, Little Genius."

 **"Genius? Then why would you come here? Do you think I won't hurt you because of that brat? Wrong-"**

"I know. You told me that you want my child as a servant to give me a false feeling of immortality against you."

 **"How did you-?"**

"You attacked me. What if I didn't agree on helping you, it would die and you wouldn't risk anything like that."

 **"Fine, you might know that but know don't know everything about me."**

"Like the fact that you cannot touch the legendary crystals? That's why you can't attack Max."

 **"And how do you know that?"**

"When you touched Dark back in the Akuno. And when the guardians saved me when we first faced each other. I wanted to test that theory, so I let you absorb my body and it worked well. The left side of my body wasn't affected by you, only thanks to the grass crystal Zoe gave me before I left Akuno."

 **"But you cannot hurt me."**

"And what if I can? I am the only human that can physically hurt you."

 **"And how did you figured that one out?"**

"Very easily, but only thanks to Jeff. You're usually too fast to be hit by a normal human, but there were two times you weren't. When Jeff shot you, it showed as that something like that can't hurt you, you healed pretty fast."

 **"So what?"**

"You're hand laid on your stomach gave it away. Does it still hurt you?"

 **"What?!"**

"It does, right? From the moment I kicked you, you feel pain, right? I can physically hurt you probably because I am the creator, but I can and I will fight you. Now, let them go."

 **"How is it possible? Nobody's that smart to outsmart me!"**

"Reese is!" Zepar looked back at her prisoners angrily. "It seems you underrated the smartest person in Japan," Dr. Taylor laughed.

 **"The smartest in Japan...?"** Zepar grinned. **"A failure like her? The creator that caused the end of humanity? Look around! This is a beginning of a new era! MY ERA!"**

"I said, let them go."

Zepar's eyes fell back at Reese.

 **"You've just called back your dinosaur, you don't even take me seriously. Why should I respect you? What are you going to do, creator?"**

"I'm not the creator. I am not your puppet."

 **"Shut up already."**

"No. I won't repeat myself, let them go, now!"

 **"What can you do to me?"**

Despite this seemingly impossible conflict to solve, Reese was totally calm. She knew what to do. She took off her glasses.

"Let them go and we'll have our final showdown. Just you and me. No one else and without your powers."

"Reese, no!" the others tried to stop her.

"You stay out of this! This might not be only my war, but if this is what's needed to be done-" "Don't do that! What about your baby? What about you?!"

"I'd rather let my child die then let it live in a world ruled by Zepar."

 **"So naive..."** Zepar snapped her fingers, the D-team was dropped down. She then walked to Reese, grabbing her throat.

"Reese!"

"Gha-! Ru...run...!"

"Reese, no! I won't leave you!" Zoe told her sister.

"I said run!"

Max took Zoe's hand, dragging her to the staircase. "Sis!" The door behind them and Rex closed.

Zepar held Reese's throat tighter. The scientist didn't give up that easily, she grabbed Zepar's wrist, twisting into an uncomfortable position, squeezing it hard, causing a big pain to the queen. Zepar let go of her.

Reese made a few steps back, but Zepar attacked again. She slapped her and punched her. Reese knew why to take off the glasses. After a few more hits, Reese started bleeding, her lip and nose, horrible wounds all over her face. She was then pushed down. Her back hit the ground and a groan escaped her mouth.

 **"You little bitch. What do you think you can do, creator? Die? Pretty much. Death is your only future. Are you wondering 'is it really my fate to die to her'? It seems. I feel bad for that child, you won't even give it a chance."** Zepar walked closer to her, her hand ready to punch her again, but this time a whip wrapped around her wrist, stopping her.

"And you shouldn't have underrated me," a male voice told her.

Reese didn't know he was still there, everything was fuzzy without her glasses.

"Dr. Taylor? What are you doing here...? I-I told you to run!"

"Don't expect me to let you do this on your own."

 **"You said just you and me, creator. I shouldn't have trusted you, lair!"**

Every time Zepar called her like that the anger inside her grew.

 **"If you don't play fair, neither will I!"** Zepar pulled the whip with all her strength, causing Dr. Taylor to fall down. Once he was on the ground it was easy. Those same ropes wrapped around him, he couldn't move.

"Leave him out of this," Reese said as she hardly got up.

 **"You still have the energy to continue? Impressive."**

Something hit Reese from behind, knocking her down to the ground. She faced the cold roof of the building. Then she felt a foot stepping on her head.

 **"That's how I like it. You, absolutely powerless. Pray."**

"Never..."

 **"What did you say?!"**

"I won't obey you, Zepar..."

 **"You don't want to be spared?"**

"I'd rather die!"

 **"That can happen if you wish."**

Almost a minute of silence was interrupted by a strange sound. Reese knew it; her first guess was Paris, but that wasn't it.

Zepar covered her ears, it was so horrible for her, she was perfectly distracted. Reese took advantage of the situation and got up. She heard three different roars and saw several blurry spots. She took on her glasses and saw clearly.

Zepar backed away from T-Rex, Spinosaurus, and Saichania. The rope around Dr. Taylor disappeared, he was able to stand up. Reese then spotted the Alpha trio and Aki near the staircase, she caused that sound. Reese could tell that by the sound crystal in her hand.

"My angel!"

Reese wanted to join the others but Zepar already had a solution to her problem with the three dinos. She created dark illusions to keep Terry, Spiny, and Tank at least for a while away from her and Reese.

While the dinosaurs were distracted and the humans couldn't go through, Zepar drove Reese away. Every second she was one step closer to the edge of the roof.

 **"You're scared for your life, isn't that right?"** Zepar laughed, **"this is so perfect. This is going to be your end."**

"You can forget about that, Zepar."

 **"Really? Do you have another plan? I don't think so. How can you know this all wasn't my plan? I can still control you. You're mine."**

Reese stopped when she was one step away from her death.

"Reese! Terry, Spiny, Tank! Hurry!" Zander desperately begged the dinosaurs. He tried to run to his angel himself but his siblings stopped him. They held him tightly. "Hey!"

"The last time you did this we almost died!" Ursula reminded him.

"And we don't want you to die either!" Ed added.

"But I must save her!"

"Aki!" Dr. Taylor ran to them, hugging his wife.

"Oh, Spike! Thank goodness, you're okay," she said as she hugged back.

"Only thanks to you."

 **"Let's see if angels can actually fly."**

"Are you going to kill me?" Reese wondered, "if it wasn't for me you'd be powerless."

 **"You're right."**

Zepar smirked. **"You helped me."**

She stroked Reese's cheek gently.

 **"You and the princess of darkness are the only ones who understand me. The only ones by my side."**

"What are talking about?"

 **"We've been together for a long, long time, my angel."**

Reese gasped as she heard those words from the devil's mouth. Unlike usually when they warmly hug, this time they almost stabbed her heart. She noticed two dark wings on her back.

"No..."

 **"What was that?"**

"No, I'm not yours. How dare you say that? Only one person can call me that," Reese growled, "and you are not him!"

Something in her coat glowed in a green light, she took it out. It was the grass crystal. Vines wrapped around Zepar's right arm. The wings disappeared.

 **"What the...?!"**

New vines got her left arm and throat.

 **"Gha-!"**

Thorns formed on the plant.

 **"I-I was right... You're the same as I am, creator... D-don't you have deja vu?"**

Zepar's words made Reese realize that...

* * *

 _As she took the first step, her body paralyzed in pain. Something pierced her body through. Her glasses fell to the ground. In the limbs, she felt a stabbing pain, wrapped around with ropes, and finally around her neck._

* * *

"I'm not like you..."

 **"Yes, you are... You like seeing me suffer like this."**

"Shut up!"

 **"So naive. You are mine, creator... Have you seen your scars? They mean you belong to me and only me! Stab me!"**

"No!" Reese dropped the crystal and fell on her knees. "No... I am not you..." The vines disappeared.

Meanwhile, three moves defeated Zepar's illusions.

"I'm not a lair, I'm not a traitor, I'm not your puppet... I am not you!" Reese cried, "I've made a mistake, I've caused several deaths, only to make my sister and friends happy... This wasn't the best way, but...we all have good lives despite that...Things could have been completely different and worse...Everything bad is good something...all of this mess helped me realize who I am...and I am not your servant."

Zepar stared at her for a while and then vanished.

"Reese, are you okay?" The others retrieved the dinosaurs and rushed to her.

Tears ran down Reese's face, her tormenting was over. Before they came to her, she rolled up both of her sleeves, looking at her old scars caused by Zepar.

Zander hugged her tightly. "My angel..."

"I'm okay...don't worry."

"Oh, boy..." The others noticed the scars. Zander as the only wasn't surprised, he knew about them.

"Those look horrible..." Ed murmured. "Wait, did you-"

"No. When Zepar kidnapped Zoe she attacked me and caused these..." Reese sadly looked at her right arm. "Zepar was right..." Some scars made a letter 'z' with a closer look.

"It's going to be alright, angel..."

He stroked her cheek, looking at the wounds. "She's going to pay for hurting you..."

"Don't worry about it, Zan," Reese reassured him, taking his hands, "it's just a face, nothing serious. She didn't hit the belly." "Thank God..."

Reese got up. "Thank you for coming in time, especially you, Aki." She made her friend blushed. "T-that was nothing. It was all Cole's idea. If he didn't give me his crystal...the kids!"

They noticed the dark cloud forming again. "Since we have Zoe's and Cole's crystals the kids can't defeat Zepar. We must hurry!"

They ran down, meeting the rest of the guardian outside.

"Where are the owners?"

"They're after Zepar," Zakuro replied, "we have no time to lose." "They have a perfect opportunity," Lucy said, "can we get to them on time?"

"I don't think so..."

"You can't but I can," Jeff spoke up, "I can still hide in shadows, it's faster than walking. Give me the crystals."

Reese and Aki gave him the crystals.

"Don't waste your time."

He nodded and quickly disappeared...

* * *

The dark cloud flew over the city while the owners, Rod, Kami, Cruz, their dinosaurs, and Bel chased after it.

"We must attack now!" Ema said. "No," Cruz objected, "all the crystals must be used. Dark, you must turn into the angel of darkness." "What about me?" Kenji wondered, "I can't transform like Dark. How can I use my crystal?" "You have secret dinosaurs, they're related to the light," Dengyo realized, "it can possibly work."

"Hey! Wait up!" Cole yelled at them, his legs still hurt, so he tried to run behind them with Justing who wasn't the fastest of them.

"...I'll try..." Dark whispered, "but I'm not sure if Harc is going to cooperate." "It's in order to destroy Zepar," Sabi said, "she should agree."

Dark nodded, her crystal started to glow and black wings appeared on her back, her eyes turned black. "Did someone mention destroying Zepar?" Harc asked.

When he heard that voice, Rod stopped, looking at the angel. "Harc? Is that you?"

Her eyes widen once they fell on the boy. "Rod?"

"Harc, you're alive...?"

"Partly. I thought I'll never see you again..."

"So did I."

They gazed at each other for a while.

"Aww, so Rod has a girlfriend," Kyra said.

"Hey! She's mine!" Kenji snapped as he noticed.

"I'm glad you meet the love of your life again, but she's in my sister's body, so cut it out," Cruz growled.

"I case you guys have forgotten we must fight," Kami reminded them, "by the way, nice to meet you again, Harc."

"Moment, how did she survived?" Justin wondered, "that does not make sense." "It's weird you're still trying to find a sense in all of this," Andy chuckled.

"Who the heck is that?" Nicolas demanded. He saw a man standing in their way.

"Jeff?"

"I'm here to save your asses, kids," he told them, "catch." He tosses grass crystal and sound crystal to Zoe and Cole. They caught them. "And where are the others?" Zoe wondered.

"They were afraid they won't be fast enough. Everyone's still alive."

"Well, it looks like you're a hero, Jeff," Niki joked. "Don't think so. Just get rid of her for my little brother, okay?" Jeff asked them. "So, you do have a brother."

"I did... Michael."

"He was your brother?" Ema's eyes widened.

"You can talk about that later," Bel told them, "now, you must save the world."

"That's the right talk," Rex agreed.

"But we can't hit Zepar when she's like this," Alice objected, "she's too far away."

"Leave that to me," Kami said and ran ahead into a small alley.

"Zepar! Zepar, I want to ask you something."

 **"Huh? What is it?"** The Dark Pterosaur looked back, slowing down.

"Zepar, please, hear me out!"

The queen stopped and flew to her. If anyone else tried to talk to her, she wouldn't care, but this was the princess of darkness; the girl that spent a hundred years with her. She treated Kami as her own daughter, as her future.

Zepar turned into her human form. **"What is it, little princess?"**

"Gundham. What happened to him?"

 **"He? He's dead. What you've seen was just an illusion."**

"...I see...Now!" Kami yelled so the owners can hear her.

They all approached with their dinosaurs, their crystal glowing.

 **"What the...?!"**

Owners' dinosaurs shot with everything they got.

Chomp the Triceratops, Ace the Carnotaurus, Paris the Parasaurolophus, Tashi the Pachycephalosaurus, Ria the Crylophosaurus, Karo the Dimetrodon, Ellen the Ampelosaurus, Annie the Daspletosaurus, Stegi the Stegosaurus, Star the Dilophosaurus, Aaron the Coelophysis, Shadow the Lufengosaurus, Jessica the Corythosaurus, Mitch the Compsognathus, Dino, Dano, and Sue the Deinonychus and Harc the angel of darkness attacked the Dark Pterosaur's human form. A multicolored beam hit her.

Everyone heard a horrifying scream of her pain. Their blood almost froze, their ears hurt from that terrifying sound.

As the beam disappeared, they could see Zepar clearly. Her eyes were wide opened. The beam made a huge hole through her torso.

 **"...ha...so, good wins after all...One goddess created a dinosaur...the other goddess killed a dinosaur...the goddess created a human...a human killed the goddess..."** after those words escaped Zepar's mouth, her pale lifeless body fell to the ground.

They won...

The sky changed to normal.

"We killed her..." Sue murmured.

"...she was right..." Max whispered, clutching his hands into fists, "but there was no other way...we're no better than her..." Then someone touched his shoulder, he looked back. "She left us no other choice," Zoe told him, smiling. He hugged her. "It's all over..."

Kami looked over at Zepar. "I'm sorry..." she sobbed as she transformed into Laura.

Dark's wings disappeared and she started falling down. Kenji caught her before she could hit the ground. "Are you okay?"

"Si... Gracias."

The Spanish kissed his cheek, he blushed.

Cruz and Sabi glared at him.

"Well, maybe you should leave them alone," Niki suggested.

"...it won't bring you back, Miharu, but at least no one else will join you because of her," Ema mumbled to herself. Jeff heard her. "So, it was you he was talking about, Wada," he said. She looked at him.

"Why didn't he tell me he has a brother?" she wondered. "I didn't tell Wendy either... The guardians know just because I gave him the crystals and stopped being the guardian myself. Our parents divorced and I lived with our father while he was with mom. We didn't see each other much since then."

"It's nice to see you alive," Alice told Rex.

"Same."

"I knew you'll do great."

"Guess, you've seen the right future," Rex chuckled.

Alice shook her head. "I believed in you."

The dinosaurs slowly changed into their cards one by one, the only ones remaining were Atrox, River, and the Torosaurus.

Andy looked at his crystal and noticed something strange. The crystal had more cracks than before, it slowly broke into small pieces. A paralyzing pain ran through his body.

"Andy, buddy? What's going on?" Nicolas asked him. Andy Kato fell on his knees with a blank expression.

"Andy?!" Sabi rushed to him, but felt the same pain, falling to the ground with the same expression.

"Sabi!" "Hermana!"

The same happened to Niki and Ema. Jeff caught the brunette. "Wada?"

Cole looked around, grinning at his little brother, falling to the ground.

"I-I do not feel so good..." Justin murmured, before passing out like the others.

"The hell is going on?" Sue wondered the pain hit even her, she looked at Zoe, "girl...?"

"This is bad!" Kyra squealed, "b-bad..." She fainted as well.

Dengyo glared at his crystal that was in pieces just like all the others. "We used all power of the crystals...So, that's what happens..." He joined the others.

"I go to find the guardians!" Bel ran away.

"Damn it..." Nicolas whispered, feeling the pain too.

"R-Rex...help..." Alice fell into Rex's arms. "Alice? Wake up! This isn't time for a nap."

"She's not napping..." Zoe said, her eyes closing. Max held her.

"Kids!"

The guardians arrived, worried sick when they spotted the scene.

"Wen, we need a little help here," Jeff exclaimed.

Rex let go of Alice, falling to the ground beside her.

Max's legs broke under him, fainting as well.

"Max!"

"What is going on?" Sora wondered.

"Den said something about the power of the crystals," Kenji, as the only owner left since Dark blacked out in his arms, explained, "...are we...dying because of that...?"

Everything was so blurry for him, then everything turned black.


	22. Goodbye

They brought the owners on the ship where the guardians, Wendy, Jeff, Bel, Ellie, and Jeremy took care of them.

Meanwhile, the Alpha Gang was working on something.

"We should take them to the hospital," Zakuro said. "I don't know how it works in your time, but people here usually question a lot," Jeremy told her, "the doctors wouldn't help until we tell them what happened and they wouldn't believe that." "Things hasn't changed that much," Wendy murmured, "they're all stabilized for now. Since the crystals were destroyed their souls are weaker...Some rest should help them."

"But what if they-"

"We're all worried!" Lucy snapped, "especially after we've lost some of us before, but thinking like that won't help them." "Lucy has a point," Dr. Owen agreed.

Cruz held his hands together, mumbling something in Spanish.

"What's he doing?" Ellie wondered. "Praying," Jeff replied, "their souls still can be saved." "Don't say it like that," Aki said, putting her hand on Cole's forehead.

"Where's Reese anyway?" Sora asked, "I thought that especially she'd stay here with us." "She said she must do something important," Spike remembered.

"What can be more important for her?" Bel wondered.

"...Gh...? So weird..." Niki murmured, she was waking up. She opened her eyes, gasped and sat up. "Sabi? A-Andy? They're-Huh?" She looked around, seeing her friends unconscious.

"So, what happened...?" She was looking for an explanation. "Niki, you're okay!"

"Well, yeah...But what about the others...? Is anyone hurt?"

"No," Wendy assured her, "you all fainted after defeating Zepar. The only injuries are from the falls."

Niki sighed in relief and took her Dino-slasher, summoning Stegi in chibi form. He happily nuzzled her.

"Well, the others will take their time, they said they need to talk," Niki said. "What do you mean?" Jeff asked her.

"Well, there was a light everywhere and then we saw Michael and some other people... they started to talk with them, so I thought I'd rather go."

"Don't bother by that, it was just a dream," Bel told her.

"Well, it actually wasn't...I'm sure there were Komatsu and Kato, and then a couple and a man with the same glasses as Sue has."

That caught Zakuro's attention.

Then someone else's eyes opened as well, Sabi snapped out.

She described them the same thing as Niki while stroking Star's back.

"It seems all the owners' souls were sent in front of heaven gates," Cruz theorized. "What are you talking about?" Ellie asked him.

"They have the same experience after almost dying," he explained, "meeting the saint victims of the Akuno. Neither Sabina or Nicole has ever met Komatsu, Kato, Shiraki, or the Ancients, but they saw them there."

"Did he say anything about me?" Lucy asked the girls. They shook their heads. Lucy sighed. "He's lucky I wasn't sent there... He would hear something."

Suddenly, they heard a small explosion.

The Alpha Gang with Reese made the repairs on two Androids in a different part of the ship. As usual with the gang, there must have been an explosion.

Reese worked alone on one Android, she couldn't completely focus. Her thoughts were somewhere else.

Someone patted on her shoulder. She looked back and saw Zander smiling at her. "My angel, you should rest."

"No. We must repair them so they can help us take care of the owners and-" "We can do it without you," he assured her, "Jeremy has experience with our technology. Go back to the base and take a nap. You need it after all of that."

"Fine... Sorry I made you worried."

Reese left, walking by a burnt room.

Then she heard a robotic voice: "Hey, I don't know if you care but there are two intruders."

"Huh?"

"And they're heading to the owners."

Reese walked in the room where the others were and saw two strangers. A young black-haired girl with dark eyes and an older blond man with green eyes, he was missing an arm.

"Who are you?"

Before anyone could answer to her, Rod and Laura ran in the room.

"It really is you!"

"Wait, who you?" Sora wondered.

"Sikers Grey," introduced himself the man, "surprised you do not recognize a historical figure as me." "And I'm his daughter, Harc, but you've probably already heard of us."

"This is something impossible," Rod said. "How can something be impossible when you have it right in front of you?" Harc asked him, giving him a big smile. She ran to him. They hugged each other and he lifted her in the air. She spread kisses over his face. He grinned at her.

"I've missed you so much!"

"How can someone who posses your body be so sweet?" Cruz asked.

"You know her?"

"She kinda tried to kill us," Sabi murmured.

"Yeah... I'm sorry about that..." Harc turned to Cruz and Sabi. "Dad and I possed the light and dark crystals after our death...and I wanted my revenge on Zepar for killing my mother so much... Wendy, Cruz, and Damita Makuto, I am sorry for possessing you and almost killing your friends."

 **"Haven't I taught you that revenge doesn't solve anything...?"** a female voice asked. A black-haired woman with bloody red eyes appeared in the room.

"Ronwe?"

"Mom, you're alive?"

 **"There was nothing...to avenge...there's a lot I must explain to you."**

"I don't get it," Sora admitted. "If I remember correctly, Ronwe is Harc's mother and Sikers' wife. He accidentally killed her with the fire crystal, but she isn't really dead, it just destroyed her human form for a hundred years. And Ronwe is Zepar's sister that actually caused that accident. And at the same time, she's time super being they call the Pterosaur. Am I right?"

 **"Absolutely. But I'm here because of something else... You must come back to your time period as soon possible."**

"That's gonna be a little problem," Lucy told her, "the children are still out and going with them like that through that rift isn't the best idea."

 **"I am sorry...but since my sister was defeated, my powers are vanishing. The universe must be balanced. I, as a goddess, cannot exist without her. After you'll all go through, the time rift won't be opened ever again. This is your last chance to go home..."**

"So, waking the owners up is the main priority and more important than before," Reese said, "I must go back to work." "But Zander told you to rest," Laura reminded her.

"But-" "You really should," Aki interrupted Reese.

"...do you realize that if it'll take too long that you can never go back?"

They nodded...

* * *

 **The Alpha Gang base, Reese's room, later**

She washed her face, looking into the mirror.

 _"Don't worry,"_ Sarah called out. Reese just sighed and then heard a knocking on the door. When she opened Zander kissed her forehead.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him. "I wanted to check up on you," he replied softly, "...the Pterosaur told us that she'll open the portal soon. You should get ready to go home."

That took her breath away, she stared at him surprisedly for a while. "You don't really mean that, do you?"

"What?"

"You want to get rid of me..."

"Angel...that's not true!"

"You want me to go back, to leave you!" she snapped, "why?"

"You miss your family. I hear you crying during the night. I don't want to force you to stay."

"But I want to stay!"

"Why?"

"Because I love you, silly! And I don't want to leave you...you're my reason to stay. I don't want to take our child away from you, that would be so unfair towards both of you. But you can't go with me...You in the present would cause troubles with the timeline, plus you can't leave Ellie. And I don't want to be without you. I love you..."

"Angel...you have something so amazing I've never had, a family, and you're giving up on it for me...?"

She nodded. "You've just added another reason for me."

"What it is?" he wondered.

"To give you a family you deserve. I can't leave you."

He hugged her. "You're just the best woman a man can have," he whispered and kissed her. He then headed down and kissed her belly. "And the best mother our child can have." She blushed and smiled.

"I go back on the ship," Reese decided, "I must help the others. I can't stay useless." "Go ahead." He kissed her cheek...

* * *

 **The ship, hour later**

They finished the repairs on the Androids.

"Alright, J, I leave it to you," Reese said.

"Are you sure it's a good idea?" Ed asked her. "We're left with nothing else..." she replied, "please, work."

They made a few steps back as the eyes of the Androids lit up, they looked around.

"Have you done your homework, children?" Helga asked. Rod and Laura smiled happily.

"It worked!"

"She remembers!"

"That's amazing," Dr. Z murmured, it almost seemed tears formed in his eyes. "Grandpa, are you crying?" "No!"

"Master Rex?" Jonathan realized, "where is he?" "Don't worry, he's okay," Reese assured him, "he should be awake by now, I hope. Come with me."

* * *

She was right, the trio was waking up. Everyone else was already awake and part of them already in the present.

"Great to see you awake," Cole told them.

"Hell yeah, but we have kinda bad news," Sue said. "What do you mean?" Max wondered. "Ronwe wants us to come back home now," Alice explained. "But I made a promise to Reese," Zoe said. "That's okay," Reese told her as she entered the room, "I'm not mad at you for that. But since you're going to leave I needed to hurry, so you can say goodbye."

Jonathan came into the room.

"Jonathan?!"

"Master Rex, I am sorry I couldn't stop the tragedy."

"It's alright," Rex reassured him, "it wasn't your fault. It was no one's fault. We couldn't do anything about it..." He looked down, but he then smiled. "But it could have been worse." The blonde looked at Alice.

"Finally somebody listened to me," she chuckled.

"Are you saying that this is one of those Androids?" Justin wondered, looking curiously at Jonathan, jumping around him, "that is amazing!"

"He's just turned into Kenji," Kyra joked.

 **"It is time to go..."** Ronwe appeared.

They nodded...

* * *

 **The lake**

The D-team and the Alpha Gang stood there in silence with the time warp opened behind them.

The first one to do something was Dr. Owen. He tried purpose to Ursula once more.

"No way!" she rejected him as always. "Then at least let me do one last thing," he said, grabbing her arm. She was surprised as he pulled her closer and kissed her. Her face turned red, she waited for her first kiss for so long and now it was here. When he pulled away, she just stared at him, actually everyone stared.

"I ship it," Alice murmured. "Me too! It's so adorable and funny," Kyra agreed. "What does 'ship' mean?" Aki wondered. "Don't be bothered by it!" Lucy told her, "you don't wanna know."

"You should go before we all start to cry..." Reese smiled at the D-team while a tear ran down her face. "Way too late, nerdy," Cole responded, streams of water on his cheeks, "why can't I stop...? Men don't cry!" He covered his face with his arm. "Damn it!"

Everyone else seemed unable to talk, they were sobbing.

"Crybabies," Lucy commented, she as the only one kept calm. She looked at Reese.

"I must say I'm glad I've got to teach the most brilliant brain of the present day."

"I've become so brilliant also thanks to you, Lucy," Reese admitted, "thank you. And I must especially thank you, Dr. Taylor. You-" She was interrupted by a hug, both Spike and Aki hugged her.

"You don't need to say anything."

She just smiled at them.

"Dr. Owen."

"Just remember what I've said, kiddo," he told her.

"I will." She nodded. "Um, Cole...? You okay?"

Cole moved his arm away, tears in his eyes. "Yeah! I'm fine, but it's gonna be weird without you... Nerdy, good luck."

"Thanks."

Then someone wrapped their arms around Reese. "K-Kyra?"

"I miss you already, Ree!" Kyra cried, "can I kiss you for this last time?"

"Cheek."

"Yep!" Kyra kissed Reese's cheek and let go of her.

"You are still the hero, Reese. It won't change in my mind," Alice said. "But I can be one only thanks to all of you. Your encouragement got me here, Alice, and I've decided mostly thanks to it. You have good advice for someone who says is bad at it."

"What if I knew my advice will lead to this ending?" Alice wondered.

"You're kidding..."

"Maybe I've kinda looked up all 14,000,605 possible outcomes since our conversation... But the point is that it led to this moment, there are only two possible futures that can affect both us in the present and you in the future. That decision is up to one of you, but I won't spoil it. I'm just happy I led you, Reese, to your happy ending. It was all I could do."

"I thank you for that. ...and I've forgiven to that someone."

Then the scientist's eyes fell on the blonde. "Rex, I'm still sorry that the creation of the last crystal caused especially you so much harm."

"Don't be bothered by that," he assured her, "but to partly prevent anyone getting hurt again, Jonathan, please, serve to Reese from now on, protect her and her family."

"Yes, master Rex." The Android nodded.

"Hey, Littler Genius!" Sue snapped. She shook a bit, tears in her eyes. She then hugged Reese. "You know well I'm rather an only child, but I would stand you as my big sister. Hey, enjoy your new life, you hell deserve this. I'll miss you, sis."

"I'll miss you too. Max, will you two take care of Zoe?"

Max looked at the pinknette for a second. "Of course!"

"Hell yeah!"

Justin sadly glanced away, it seemed as Reese forgot about him, but he felt her touch his shoulder. "Don't think I've left you out," she said, kneeling on his level, "you'll get the second hardest job; you're now in charge of the D-lab." "Moment, you want me to do what? I-I cannot..." he objected. "You've promised me you'll be just like me one day; that day has come, Justin, don't be scared, you won't be alone, there's always someone by your side, even if you don't want them there." With those last words, she chuckled.

He nodded. "Alright! I will do it. But I do not have an access to a lot of stuff."

She smiled, whispering something to him. Before she pulled away and straightened, she kissed his cheek. He flushed completely.

There was just one person left. Reese turned to her and noticed that Lucy gave Zoe a plushie of a Parasaurolophus. She handed it to the scientist.

"Huh? Zoe, what are you doing?" Reese asked her, "you would never give Jessica to anyone." "You're the only one I've ever trusted enough to let you hold her and now I want you to give her to your child if I can't be its amazing aunt then I wanna do at least this," Zoe explained.

The sisters hugged each other. "Thank you."

Zoe held Reese tightly. "I don't wanna let you go," she sobbed. "I don't want it either. Be strong, Zoe. You'll soon forget about me."

"I don't want that! I won't forget... I've missed so much when you've only moved away and I met you every day, but now..."

"It'll be fine, you'll see."

They cried more, then Reese let Zoe go.

"Goodbye, everyone."

"Bye... Good luck." The D-team waved and made a step back, disappearing in the portal.

Reese sniffed a little. "Good luck, everyone."

There was a complete silence for whole ten minutes. Reese gazed at the time warp, replaying the moments with her family and friends she'll never see again.

 _"You may like to spend your life studying but some of us would rather have fun!"_

 _"Ree~!"_

 _"You are a really strong person."_

 _"Hey, it'll be fine, girl."_

 _"Don't say that."_

 _"Please, protect Zoe and the boys, they both will take you as a sister."_

It went on and on until Ronwe appeared. She looked at Reese curiously.

 **"I've said that all of you will return... Why are you still here?"**

"Because I am staying right here," Reese replied.

 **"Huh?"** Ronwe looked surprised by the resistance, but she stayed calm. **"You probably do not realize the importance of your presence in your time."**

"I said I am staying here."

 **"But that can damage the flow of the history in an unimaginable way."**

"And what about Rex?" Reese wondered, "he can't damage the timeline?"

Ronwe shook her head. **"He grew up there. It's the place where he belongs to, where you belong to."**

Reese took Zander's hand. "No. The place where I belong is right by Zander's side."

"Angel..." he whispered.

"I thought you would understand that, Ronwe. You've chosen love over everything else as well."

 **"And look what it caused."** More Reese tried to convince her, more mad Ronwe got, but that didn't stop the scientist.

"If you can't understand as a woman in love then at least try it as a mother. You wouldn't want Harc to live without Sikers, would you?"

She got no answer to that.

"I don't want my child to miss a father in its life. Giving it both parents is the best I can give it. I won't repeat myself, I'm staying in this time."

Ronwe was about to yell at her, but someone interrupted her.

Harc stepped between her and Reese.

"Just let them be together!" she snapped, "I had a chance to see their relationship only briefly, but I can tell that they have a very strong bond and breaking it would be something so cruel. Mom, please, forget about the time and space for once and let two people be together."

The Pterosaur stayed quiet.

"She's right, Ronwe," Sikers joined, "you're starting to be worse than your sister. She helped these two to meet again, despite it was all a part of her twisted plan."

Ronwe opened her mouth to respond. Before she could say anything, Reese tried once again: "I've just finished a fight with one so-called goddess, I have no problem fighting another one."

 **"Fine... You can stay."**

A huge smile appeared on Sikers' and Harc's and especially Zander's and Reese's faces.

"Thank you so so much."

 **"Don't thank me for that..."** Ronwe told her. The time warp closed forever.

Reese turned to Harc. "Thank you." "No problem. I know how it feels to be separated from the one you love," Harc exclaimed and looked at Rod, "plus I can't stand someone's pain." "Your soul was in the dark crystal which was stored in Dark's soul. I wonder does Dark have that from you or did you keep it from her?" Reese demanded with a slight smiled.

"I guess, I took it over."

As Reese turned back, she got a hug from her boyfriend.

"Now that you're definitely staying, my angel, there's one place where I want to take you," Zander told her, "Dr. Z, is it okay if we use one of the Alpha crafts?"

"Whatever."

"Are you okay with that?" He turned back at Reese. "Yeah, if it won't blow up. But where do you want to take me?"

"That's a secret. You'll see when we get there."

"You know, we could use the ship," Rod suggested.

"Yeah! I wanna go too!" Laura said.

"Fine."

* * *

Unlike everyone else, Reese had no idea about what's going to happen. They planned something.

When they got on the place, they all were sent down to the surface. Zander dragged Reese away from the others, but they could still see them.

They stood in the middle of a desert.

Reese recognized the place.

"What are we doing here?" she asked him, "don't tell me you wanna replay our first meeting." "No. It sounds like a fun idea, but that's not why I brought you here. The real reason I did it is..." He nervously glanced away.

She gave him an encouraging smile. He felt like he can do anything.

He started to sing, dancing around her.

She happily watched him. Sarah, who stayed with them, danced.

When he stopped, he looked right at her. He blushed and looked down.

"Is something wrong?"

"N-no! E-everything's perfect, my angel, because I'm with you. It's just..."

"You know you can tell me anything."

"I do. My angel, I trust you so much I can barely keep a secret from you. ...I took you all the way here to...ask you something." He took her hands.

"To ask me what?"

"It's about us. Since I first saw you, you were the main thing on my mind. You saved my life. I've never thought a girl as you would ever love me... But I still tried to protect you. When we met for the second time, it seemed like a destiny. I didn't care you're the enemy, because when I look at you I care about anything else but you. Letting you go was hard but we met again. I believe we're meant for each other, my angel. You let me do what no one else did."

Reese watched him carefully. Zander fell on one knee, taking a red box out of his coat.

She gasped, her eyes widened, her body shivered in excitement.

"No way..."

"Reese Drake, I didn't want to ask you before because it would change your decision. I wanted you to decide on your own, but now that you did."

He opened the box, there was a diamond ring inside.

"The same as you said applies to me; the place where I belong is right by your side. I can't be without you. My decision to do this wasn't affected by your pregnancy, yours shouldn't be affected as well, I want your sincere answer. I love you so much, my angel, and I want to know if you feel the same way. You don't need to answer right now."

His talking made her suffer from waiting. He tried to give her as much time as she needed.

"Will you marry me?"

When that questioned sounded with his voice, it finally hit her. It was real.

It was real this time!

Her heart started to beat faster, happiness ran through her body.

"Yes!" she suddenly said, surprising even herself. She knew she wants it from the start of his speech. The excitement didn't even give her some time so progress she agreed.

Zander's face lit up. He's never thought he would succeed. He took her hand gently, sliding the ring on her finger.

"Thank you, my angel."

He straightened up and she hugged him tightly, tears running down her face.

"I love you!"

"I love you too."

The others watched from the distance.

"She said yes!" Ellie cheered.

"I can't believe he did it," Ursula murmured. "Why does he have to man up when it's not needed?" Dr. Z wondered. "Well?" Ed opened his hand, waiting for them to give him the price of the bet.

Ronwe watched in silence.

"And you wanted to tear them apart," Sikers told her. **"This endangers their own past..."**

"Heh. That's the difference between you and your sister. You look more human, but she acts more human."

 **"What are you talking about?"**

"So, your decision can really change someone's story even if you're just a side character," Harc said to herself

* * *

 **Present day**

So, this is the end I guess.

No, not really. I'm sure you wonder what happened to us. I'm not the best person to explain since I'm not good with words.

Hm, where do I start?

Right after we came back, Jeff went to the police and got arrested without resisting. Wendy and Ema go to see him very often. He seemed okay with going to the jail. "Sometimes you need to help justice to win," he said when I last saw him.

Wendy is still giving Cruz a shelter and a home. There is one thing she's told him, but I won't tell you; it's a secret after all. I, of course, know what it is, or I think I do. And Rex sure knows it too thanks to our unexpected trip to the past.

For Cruz, nothing much has changed, maybe just the fact that he and Bel are dating now and they make a great couple!

Bel joined Kyra and Cole with him, forming a band. They have a good sound for three different cultures, even for my taste. It helped Kyra to cheer up a bit.

From Kyra's depression from losing her best friend to the guardians. Nothing changed with them. I'm not sure if it's because they're adults or something like that. But I know changing them is harder. That one thing we've all hoped for is unfortunately still the same, mom still smokes.

Nicolas surprised me. He tries to keep his anger toward me away. Despite our talk with dad's ghost, he's mad at me, and he has right to be, but now he actually acts like a brother for a change.

Niki seems to hold him back, spending a lot of time with him.

Andy is that camp of his friends too. Most of the time he tries to impress Sabi.

Kenji does the same with Dark, but it's more successful in his case.

Mentioning the shy Spanish, Dark isn't pale and slim as she used to be. She doesn't look like a black-haired skeleton anymore, though her scars haven't disappeared yet. She plans to travel the world one day, looking for new fossils.

Now, that we aren't busy with saving the world, Sabi got back into the astronomy and astrology. She watches the stars every night, sometimes even inviting us. She talks about the stars and constellations we've never heard about, but most of the time we're fascinated by the sky show above us.

Mysterious Dengyo writes a book, at least from what I've heard from Andy and Kenji.

Justin had to take over Reese's job. His dream came true, but his ideal and close friend was gone. Working in the D-lab was a part-time job for him because he still studied. That was no problem, Dr. Taylor took care of everything and Max, Rex, Zoe, Sue, Cole, and Dark helped as well.

At the beginning of October, Ema moved back to the Luminary village. We're in contact. She's doing fine.

That left me as the leader of the art club. As you may already know, I've convinced my classmates to join. We have a lot of fun. Of course, from my previous experience, no unwashable paint.

The others usually leave soon. Then I'm only with Rex who's not the best at drawing. I can't forget that one moment when I held his hand; to help him, of course!

I'm sure you wonder how's Zoe. Well, she was sad the first few months, and I bet she still is. Max and Sue help her a lot.

Max holds to the promise he gave to Reese. He protects Zoe no matter what. They even started dating, but that's mostly thanks to Sue.

And as for her, she isn't just a neighbor; she's practically part of the Drake family; they would surely adopt her.

So, I guess that's it.

It's been a nice journey with you. It'll be weird without you, guys.

Wait... You wanna see the baby, right? Of course, you do.

Then here you have it.

And until next time!

* * *

 **2137, April, hospital**

Reese was lying in the hospital bed, tired. She was smiling at a baby girl in her arms, Parie Angela Drake.

Zander was sitting on the bed, stroking the baby's head gently.

"Hey, sweetheart..." she whispered. Parie wiggled a little. "Zan, she's so adorable."

"Did you hear that, sweetheart?" he asked, "Mommy thinks you're adorable and so do I."

"I still can't get used to being called like that," Reese admitted. "You will don't worry," Zander assured her, kissing her forehead.

A slight roar from Sarah, standing on the bed, agreed.

"See? Sarah agrees. I wasn't used to being called Zander Drake and look now."

Reese nodded.

He rested his forehead on hers and they said as one: "I love you."


	23. Without him - AU

**If you're wondering what is this, this is the original, not canon ending I've planned for some time, but Reese's and Zander's relationship convinced me to change it to the one you've read in the previous chapter.**

 **The context of the beginning is the same so, I've skipped the first two thousand words.**

 **I'm including this here because of the characters I've planned for this ending only.**

 **Enjoy**

* * *

There was a complete silence for whole ten minutes. Reese gazed at the time warp, replaying the moments with her family and friends she'll never see again.

It went on and on until Ronwe appeared. She looked at Reese curiously.

 **"I've said that all of you will return... Why are you still here?"**

"Because I am staying right here," Reese replied.

 **"Huh?"** Ronwe looked surprised by the resistance, but she stayed calm. **"You probably do not realize the importance of your presence in your time."**

"I said I am staying here."

 **"But that can damage the flow of the history in an unimaginable way."**

"And what about Rex?" Reese wondered, "he can't damage the timeline?"

Ronwe shook her head. **"He grew up there. It's the place where he belongs to, where you belong to."**

Reese took Zander's hand. "No. The place where I belong is right by Zander's side."

"Angel..." he whispered.

"I thought you would understand that, Ronwe. You've chosen love over everything else as well."

 **"And look what it caused."** More Reese tried to convince her, more mad Ronwe got, but that didn't stop the scientist.

"If you can't understand as a woman in love then at least try it as a mother. You wouldn't want Harc to live without Sikers, would you?"

She got no answer to that.

"I don't want my child to miss a father in its life. Giving it both parents is the best I can give it. I won't repeat myself, I'm staying in this time."

Ronwe was about to yell at her, but someone interrupted her.

Zander touched Reese's shoulder.

"Go," he told her, that was the worst he could say.

"No! I've already told you; I-"

"It's better for everyone."

"Zander, no! I don't want to leave you!" Reese cried.

"I don't want to let you go either but if there's no other way..."

"How am I suppose to convince you?!"

"Don't try that..."

But that didn't stop her, she tried to sing.

R: " **Oh my sweet man** ~

R: **I don't want to go**."

Then he joined.

Z: " **But if you'll stay tonight**

Z: **you're gonna miss your home**.

Z R: **Enjoy your better life** ~

Z: **Begging you to stay strong**."

She couldn't let him continue.

R: " **Forgetting all I did wrong**!

R: **I'll stay with you forever more**."

But he ended it.

Z: " **We now have to let our true love go**."

"No! How can you possibly want that?!" Streams of tears running down Reese's face.

"Because I love you; I'm letting you go because I know I leave you in good hands. You'll be with your family. My angel, I have some things for you."

Zander took a red box out of his pocket, putting it in Reese's hands.

Her eyes widened. "No, you didn't mean to-" "I did. But I don't want to hold you here and I was too scared..."

"Too scared of what?"

"...here..." He gave her a dinosaur card, it was the other Saurolophus. "Have this... Even if we'll be separated, Sarah and her lover doesn't have to be-"

"Two lovers shouldn't be separated," she said with him.

"Then why are you doing this?!"

"Because it can erase everything and everyone we know from history. Please, promise me you'll find a great man to be our child's father."

She was quiet for a while, noticing his tears.

"Okay, I promise... I have something for you as well."

She took a heart necklace out of her lab coat, giving it to him. He opened it. There was their photo and then a music started playing, the melody of their song.

"I've planned to give it to you after the birth, but..."

"It's beautiful."

"Thanks, I'm glad you like it, it was very hard to make."

"Thank you so much, my angel."

They fell into a hug, crying. Nothing else mattered to them. They were the world, they were all alone.

They kissed passionately for a long time.

When then someone grabbed Reese and pulled her into the time warp. Sarah followed her.

"Wait! ZANDER!" Reese stretched her arm to him.

"REESE!" Zander did the same, unable to reach her.

They stared at each other for those last seconds, they felt like hours. They didn't want it to end.

 _This was their last moment_

Tears ran down their faces, they couldn't be stopped.

"Zander/My angel, I love you!" they said as one.

The portal closed.

Zander fell on his knees, crying. "Goodbye, my love..."

* * *

 **The present,** **September 22nd**

Reese was lying near the lake, unconscious. Sarah nuzzled her cheek, waking her up.

She opened her eyes, looking into the sky. Then she remembered and tears started to fall again. She squeezed the plushie in her hands.

Sarah called out. Reese sat up, trying to calm herself. She wiped away the tears and headed to the town. Sarah followed her.

They stopped at the door of her home, she took a deep breath and came in.

She only stood there, while Sarah decided to explore the house which brought someone's attention.

"What are you doing here, little guy?" Sarah brought a woman to her partner. "Reese?!"

"Hi, mom..."

The scientist got an immediate hug from her mother.

"You're back. I must tell your dad."

"Wait, I would like to talk to Zoe first," Reese said.

She turned to the staircase and saw two chibi dinosaurs, a Triceratops, and a Daspletosaurus. "Oh, hell no..." Sue and Max walked down the stairs.

"Reese, what are you doing here? I thought-" "I know," the researcher interrupted Max.

"I'm really glad to see you again, sis," Sue told her and hugged her, "but what the hell happened?"

"...just don't tell anyone I'm back, okay?"

They were all confused by that request but they nodded. "Hold on, Little Genius, you want me to keep a secret?!" Sue wondered, "why do you want that anyway?"

"Just do it for me."

"Fine."

Then Max, Chomp, Sue, and Annie left.

"C'mon, Sarah." Reese headed upstairs. She stopped at the door of Zoe's room. There was a complete silence for a normal person, but the ones who summoned a grass dinosaur could hear a soft voice. _"Don't cry, Zoe. She wouldn't want to see you like that."_

Reese sighed.

Sarah was so excited that she ran into the room.

"Sarah?"

Reese still stood behind the door unnoticed.

Zoe walked out, noticing her sister.

"Reese?"

She looked surprisedly at her. Reese wrapped her arms around her little sister.

"I'll explain everything later. But I need to rest now. I just wanted to see you. C'mon, Sarah."

She headed to her room.

Zoe confusedly watched her back and the door close.

No one saw Reese for several hours, she didn't show up for the dinner and made everyone worried.

Zoe didn't hesitate. She knocked on Reese's door. There was no answer at first. Then Zoe heard slight yips.

 _"Please, someone! Don't worry, Reese, I'll bring help!"_

Sarah pushed the door opened. "Sarah, did something happen to Reese?"

 _"Probably..."_

Zoe rushed in the room. "Reese!" Her worries vanished once she spotted Reese sitting on her bed, totally fine.

"Are you okay, sis?" Zoe asked her. She got no answer. "Reese?"

"I'm fine," Reese replied coldly. "But I heard Sarah-" "I said I'm fine!"

There was a knock on the door. Their parents came in. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes. I'm okay-"

 _"Don't be afraid to show your emotions, don't keep everything inside you,"_ Reese remembered Zander's words.

 _"I'm not a lair..."_

She changed her answer: "No. Nothing's alright..."

"What happened?"

Her parents sat down on the bed beside her as she started to explain.

She specifically didn't include the baby. When she stopped several tears ran down her face.

"The first love sometimes hurt, sweetheart," her mother told her, taking her hand.

"But...he isn't just the first love, he's my true love," Reese sobbed, "have you ever loved someone so much that missing them almost kills you?" "I have," her father replied, "my three lovely girls." He smiled at her, but it didn't make happier.

"Without him, I feel like a fish on a dry land, like an airplane that cannot fly. I love him so much..."

Reese quickly stood up and ran away, but at the door everything around spun, making her sick. She fell on her knees.

"Reese!" They rushed to her. She was crying. They noticed a small red box that fell out of her pocket lying on the floor, they realized what it means.

"Don't tell me he wanted to..." Zoe murmured. Reese nodded softly.

"...What has happened with me...?" she whispered, "...I haven't been such a crybaby...such a coward...Is it because I'm in love...? Or is it because I'm-" She looked sadly at her parents. "There's something must tell you..." She touched her belly. "Mom, dad, I...I'm pregnant..."

The shock was in adults' faces at first, but it was replaced with encouraging smiles. They all hugged her.

"Come to eat; you both need it."

* * *

Reese stayed hidden from her friends for three months. She didn't feel good about going out.

The first few weeks she hasn't even left her room.

On the Christmas day, she finally went out with Sarah and Amour, the second Saurolophus. Both dinosaurs curiously examined the snow blanked outside. Sarah didn't like it much, so Reese carried her. Amour happily chased after snowflakes; he tried to eat them.

They arrived at the D-lab, entering the main room. The first one to notice was Kyra. A huge smile formed on her face. "Ree!"

Everyone turned around.

Kyra ran to the scientist and hugged her. "You're back!"

"I'm glad to see you all again..."

"But how are you here?" Rex wondered, "I thought the time warp won't be opened again."

Reese glanced away.

"Ree, I see your belly's bigger. What month are you in?" Kyra asked her. "Fifth..." "Aww! So, it's going to be soon!"

The researcher sighed.

"I must say that I did a good job here as a researcher while you have been gone, Reese," Justin admitted. "I believe that. I knew I can rely on you."

"He's really great!" Dr. Taylor confirmed, "maybe even better than you when you were younger, Little Genius." Justin blushed a little.

"I want to explain something to you," Reese said, "is it okay if Zoe and I come to visit you today?"

"Of course! Aki will be glad to see you."

"Thank you, Dr. Taylor."

* * *

 **Later**

Zoe and Reese got ready to go. Zoe wore a Santa outfit.

"I can't believe it still fits you," Reese told her.

"And I still look great in it! Won't you wear something like that?"

"No way, sis. You know I'm not into these kinds of things, plus no costume would fit me at this point."

"I'm sure Mrs. Taylor will find something for you!"

Everything went as usual, Zoe was full of energy and positive, Reese unlike her had still her poker face on.

Sue joined them, and they went to the Taylors.

"Hello, girls," Aki greeted them. Everyone was already in the costumes as expected. Reese sighed seeing that, hoping they won't force her into that, but she was wrong.

Aki already dragged Sue away to choose her costume. Sarah and Amour ran to play with the other dinosaurs.

"You're not avoiding this, nerdy," Cole told Reese, "if we have to wear this you have to with us." "There is no way anyone of you is getting me into a costume," she replied. "But I'm sure they would suit you," Aki said as she came back.

"Aki, you know the best it's so hard to find something that would fit me now."

"Don't worry, I think I have something right for you."

After three minutes, Reese walked back to show herself. She wore a white baggy dress and wings, her scars visible.

 _"Why does it have to be an angel?"_ she asked herself, her cheeks turning red.

Everyone was so amazed by her look.

"I say it just because I'm the only one allowed and it will sound the least weird from me," Sue exclaimed, "damn you look hot!" "Thanks..."

"And now it's time to have fun, kids!" Dr. Taylor said.

"Before that," Reese interrupted him, "I don't mean to destroy the happy atmosphere, but I would like to explain everything."

They sat down in the living room, and Reese started explaining. She kept looking at her diamond ring the whole time.

"Ronwe forced you to leave?" Rex wondered when she finished.

Reese nodded sadly.

"That birdie is gonna hell pay for hurting you like that!" Sue snapped.

"There must be a way to go back," Max said. "No... Ronwe claimed that the time warp will never be opened again," Reese reminded him, "and using the stone plates is also excluded since the time crystal can't help when it's destroyed alongside with all the crystals...why do I have to be punished like that...?"

"You must not take it as a defeat," Aki told her, "take it as a new opportunity."

"...I can't... I did promise him I'll find someone to be with me and help me, a father for our child... But I can't do that..."

"You already have someone like that," Zoe told her, "we won't be a father to it, but we'll always be here for you."

Reese looked at her and then at everyone else. They nodded in agreement.

"And not just us, everyone."

"Thank you all..."

* * *

 **April**

It was here. The baby was coming soon, but that didn't stop Reese from working in the D-lab. Of course, no one knew about it, that was a mistake.

When the trio, Sue, Kyra, and Justin entered the room, they saw Reese lying on the floor. She was paler than usual and taking deep breaths.

"Reese!"

They ran to her. Justin nervously stayed standing at the door.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Zoe asked.

"I...I don't think I am..."

"What do you mean?!"

"...it hurts...i-it's here..."

"No way!" Kyra gasped, "the baby's coming!"

"What?!"

Justin fainted. "Oh, really?" Sue commented when she saw him.

"Sue, take care of Ivi," Kyra told her. Sue nodded and headed to the door.

"Rex, call the hospital. Max, Zo, help me with Ree."

Rex phoned. Meanwhile, they laid Reese down.

"Kyra, do you know what you're doing?" Max asked her. "Yes," she replied confidently, "if we won't do it, no one will."

"...Kyra...I trust you...promise me that nothing bad will happen to it..."

"Don't forget I'm a nurse in training, I know what to do. Everything will be alright, you and the baby, I promise."

* * *

She had no clue how long it took.

Minutes?

Hours?

She doesn't even remember what happened.

The first thing she knows is that the pain faded away and she felt weak, she was exhausted.

Then she heard a cry. She looked up at Kyra.

Her friend smiled at her, she was holding something. It was in Max's vest. Max and Zoe helped Reese to sit up.

"Ree, there's someone who would like to say 'hello' to you," Kyra told her, kneeling beside her, "it's a girl."

Reese could see a baby, she gently took her. The girl stopped crying, looking at Reese.

"Hi there..." A huge smile formed on Reese's face.

"She's so small. I don't want to hurt her," she whispered.

"How are you going to name her?" Rex asked her.

"Parie Angela Drake."

"Parie?" Zoe wondered, "you've promised me you'll name your daughter after Paris and me."

"And I did...It would be too confusing if I'd name her the same...that's why I've chosen a combination of your names..."

Parie stretched her tiny arm up to her mother. Reese carefully took her hand, tears ran down her face.

"I wish Zander could see you..." she murmured.

"I know you miss him, but don't forget we're always here for you, sis!" Sue reassured her.

"I know..."

"Can I hold her?" Zoe asked Reese.

"Sure."

Zoe gently took her niece. "She's sweet."

Justin started to wake up when people ran in there.

Reese only smiled at them before she fainted...

* * *

 _She woke up in a comfortable bed, everything was white._

 _She looked around and saw someone at Parie's crib, looking at her. She wanted to yell at them at first because she knew no one like that. But then her eyes widened, she recognized him._

 _"Oh, you're awake, my angel," he said softly, smiling and stroking her cheek. Her face warmed up, his gentle touch made her shiver a little bit._

 _She sat up. "Zander, what are you doing here?" she wondered. "I wanted to see our daughter," he replied, looking at the baby adoringly._

 _"You aren't real, are you?"_

 _He shook his head. "I'm here because you want me to be here."_

 _"...I miss you so much...please, sing me our song..."_

 _He took her hand, dragging her out of bed. She hugged him, and he started to sing._

 _She closed her eyes, listening carefully._

 _"I love you... Please...PLEASE, DON'T LEAVE ME!"_

* * *

Reese opened her eyes, lying in hospital bed. She looked around. The crib was still next to the bed. Paris, Sarah, and Amour were lying at her legs, the Saurolophus were nuzzling each other. She then noticed a pink-headed rested on the bed and her parents sitting there, they all were sleeping.

She smiled.

* * *

 **D-lab, Several months later**

Reese played the flute. Parie who lied in her crib, wearing a Triceratops pajama and holding the Parasaurolophus plushie, started falling asleep.

The scientist smiled and went to work before her daughter wakes up.

Suddenly, the door opened and with a loud cheering Max, Rex, Zoe, and Dr. Taylor entered the room.

"Shh! I've just put Parie to sleep," Reese shushed them.

"Sorry..."

"Reese, I told you that you don't have to come, take care for Parie," Dr. Taylor told her.

"I know, but I can't be without my work or her. And she's calm here."

"Maybe because she was born here?" Rex said.

"Probably. Why are you all so happy anyway?" Reese asked them.

"We're going to the Canadia dig-site next week," Max replied, "Dr. Owen invited us." "Seems you're going to have fun."

"You can come with us," Zoe suggested.

"I can't. Parie's too young, I don't want to drag her so far away. And leaving her here isn't a better idea."

"Mom and dad can take care of her."

"They're both too busy already."

"Aki would help too," Dr. Taylor said, "I'm sure everyone would."

"...but...Parie's never been away from me. I don't know if I can handle it."

"Are you more worried about her or about yourself?" Rex wondered.

"Reese, please! It won't be fun without you, sis."

Reese sighed and nodded. "Okay."

Everyone cheered, but that only woke Parie up. She started to cry. Reese rushed to her, picking her up.

"Shh... It's okay, little angel. Mommy's here. Don't cry." She rocked the baby gently. Parie stopped crying. "Your aunt and uncles are a bit loud, aren't they?" Reese chuckled

* * *

 **Airplane, next week**

It was dark outside, Max, Rex, and Zoe were sleeping. Reese was looking out of the window, squeezing her mobile, holding herself not to call home.

She kept phoning home every minute because of Parie before they got in the plane.

"Can't sleep?" Dr. Taylor asked. She turned to him. "I'm a pilot, I'm not able to fall asleep up in the air."

"You're still worried about Parie, aren't you?"

"Yeah...I can't help it. After losing Zander, I have only her."

"No, you don't."

"I'm just worried, okay? It's normal to be. I'm a mother now."

"But you should also trust her. She's maybe still a baby but she's Drake, she'll be fine."

Reese sighed and nodded. "You're right."

* * *

 **Canada, Alberta - dig-site, next day**

They finally arrived. Dr. Taylor and Dr. Owen greeted each other with their typical dance. The others sighed in irritation.

Reese tried to call home one more time, but there was no signal.

Then Dr. Owen took her phone. "Hey!"

"No calling here, kiddo. Focus on the fossils."

"I've promised I'll call when we get here. Zoe, can I use your phone?" Reese turned to her little sister. "Yeah..." Zoe was about to find it, but she didn't have it.

"Too bad," Spike chuckled, holding up three cell phones. "Hey!" the trio snapped.

"No technologies during our stay here."

 _"Then what am I even doing here?"_ Reese thought.

"Dad, that isn't fair!" Max objected. "We can still have fun," Rex told him.

Chomp, Ace, and Paris looked around and ran into different directions. "Where are you three going?"

The trio ran after their partners.

"Is this unnecessary?" Reese asked the men. They nodded in a reply. She sighed.

 _"Then let's look around,"_ Amour roared, _"time will pass faster."_ He and Sarah headed away. "Wait for me."

Reese followed them and ran into someone. She raised her head to see a brunette man.

"Hey, watch your s-" He stopped as he looked at her. "You?"

She ran her eyes over the man and recognized him. It was the same man she met that one day in the library.

"Shouldn't you apologize to me?" she asked him.

"You haven't changed, missy. Why should I apologize when you ran into me?" he wondered. "I mean for that first time," she cleared up. "Sorry then. I must say I like the way how tough you are," the man admitted. The scientist frowned at him.

Then someone else caught man's attention. "I can't believe that. It really is you!" he said, looking amazedly at Spike. He headed to him.

"Dr. Spike Taylor! I'm a huge fan!"

"Really?"

The younger man nodded. "Can I get an autograph?" he asked, taking a small book and a pen. "I have a fan? Finally!" Dr. Taylor cheered happily, signing, sparkles appeared around him.

"Thank you so much!"

"Spike, Reese, this is Alan Hughes," Dr. Owen introduced the young man, "after he finished school he traveled here and became a part of our paleontology team. He's the reason why I invited you here. He wanted to meet you so much."

Alan turned back at Reese. "It almost seems like a destiny you and I met here," he chuckled.

For a brief second, that man reminded her of Zander.

 _"We're tied together with the steel chains of love!"_

"A destiny...?" she quietly repeated. A tear ran down her face. She quickly wiped it away.

"Hey, maybe we can hang out together for a while?" Alan suggested, "take it as my apology."

"I don't think that's a-" she was about to reject, but both paleontologists behind him nodded and gave her thumbs up. She even heard her little sister calling from a distance: "Go for it!"

Reese blushed and decided. "Okay."


	24. Without her - AU

She was gone.

Gone forever...

Zander fell to his knees, crying. As time passed, he was the only one left at the lake; the others tried to make him stop, but he didn't listen. He only wanted her to come back.

After hours and hours off weeping, he was exhausted, desperate.

He looked up at the sky, the sun was slowly going down. "Are you up there, my angel?" he asked quietly. There was no answer, no sign from above as he hoped.

"Hey, stop whining like a kid," a robotic voice sounded from his Scanner. He looked at it and saw a red-haired guy's face on the screen.

"J?"

"Look, crybaby, if you really miss her that much, you probably should check out the D-lab," the program told him.

He closed his eyes, thinking about it. He had nothing to lose at this point. He headed to the D-lab, once he was there he felt as if somebody touched his shoulder. He immediately turned around, but there was no one behind him.

Was he just imaging things?

He shook his head, hurrying to the main room. He walked over to the computer, touching the chair, sighing.

An idea crossed his mind. He wanted to at least learn about her life when he can't be part of it.

He turned on the computer, as it booted up his eyes immediately fell at a folder called 'For Him'.

Could that mean...?

He opened it. A password was required. A few options ran through his head, the date they met, the nickname he has for her, but none of them worked. Then he tried the weakest password he could think of, the very last words she told him.

It worked!

The folder was full of documents named as dates. He double clicked on the first one, '25 December 2015', and started reading.

 _"Hi, Zander,_

 _if you are the one reading this-no... I'm sure you're reading this, Zander._

 _It took me so long to finally do something after I returned home. I was scared of the outside world without you; three months... Three long months I didn't step out of the house. I needed to adapt to this life again, the life without you. I can say I'm doing great, but still...I miss you. I can't forget about you._

 _I've decided to write this to you, my life, our lives, so we can be with you at least like that._

 _I'm in the fifth month now. We're doing fine. I don't think there is nothing more to say right now._

 _Live on and don't forget,_

 _with love_

 _your angel."_

"Reese..." he whispered and opened another document.

 _"Hi, Zander,_

 _you won't believe it. I felt it, a kick._

 _Remember the recording of your song you gave me a long time ago? I've just listened to it for the first time since I'm back and I felt the kick._

 _The baby seems to recognize your voice... It reacts to it._

 _Which reminds me; I don't know its gender yet. I don't want to know it. It's what we agreed on._

 _Live on and don't forget,_

 _with love_

 _your angel."_

Tears started to run down his cheeks. He continued to read the rest of the files, then his breath stopped for a second when he opened '28 April 2016'. He knew what is going to be there without reading a single line.

 _"Hey, Zander..._

 _It's over..."_

He knew she's crying, even if he couldn't seem her, even if he couldn't hear her; he knew it.

 _"I'm so happy, Zan... I can finally hold her. She_ _'s_ _so cute and small, I don't want to hurt her. I can't stop looking at her. She's sleeping right now."_

The next thing after that was a photo... A photo of a baby girl, sleeping as Reese said.

A bright smile formed on Zander's face.

 _"Her name is Parie Angela Drake."_

"She's beautiful, my angel, just like you."

 _"I wish you could hold her and be here with us. I'll do my best to take care of_ _her_ _. I promise you she'll know everything about_ _you._

 _A-anyway..._

 _Live on and don't forget,_

 _with love_

 _your angels."_

He chuckled weakly.

The documents about Parie's childhood went on and on and then suddenly he ran into a video.

Once it started to play on the big screen, he heard the most beautiful voice, saw the most beautiful face; it was his angel.

 _"Hi, Zander."_

"Reese..."

 _"I miss you so much. It's been almost six years and I still can't forget about you. I need you with me."_

"I need you too, my angel," he said despite she couldn't hear him.

 _"Parie keeps asking about you. Where are you? Why aren't you with us? It hurts. I try to explain it to her, that you didn't leave us... That you love us both, but we can't be together. I would give anything just to see you again. This is so cruel."_

He nodded.

 _"I miss you...I can't take this anymore... I hope you're all right."_

"I am. Don't worry."

 _"I love you, Zander..."_ she said as the video ended. There was a frozen shot of her smiling brightly at the camera.

He leaned his forehead against the screen, crying even more. "I love you too, Reese..."

A while that felt like hours passed; he didn't move from the screen, still crying.

He felt someone hugging him from behind. He looked back and saw her. His angel, literally; she had white wings on her back. Her whole body was weirdly transparent.

"Reese...?"

She kissed his cheek, smiling.

"Don't be sad," she whispered.

"That's easy to say. I've lost you forever," he sobbed.

"I've never left you. I'm always watching over you," she told him, holding him tighter.

"Can you stay here with me?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "I fought two goddesses, but there is no way to fight _him_. We'll be waiting for you. Until then, live on and don't forget."

"I would never forget you."

They stared at each other adoringly for so long. They wished it could last forever, but then Reese started to fade away.

"I have to go," she murmured sadly.

Zander hugged her tightly. "No! I won't let you go again. Never again!"

"...Zan..." She was tearing up. "I'll miss you..."

"Don't go... I know I forced you to go back home before, but please don't go! I love you, my angel!" he yelled desperately.

"I love you more." She smiled.

He chuckled tearfully, holding her hands, acquiescing to the reality. "I love you the most."

"I love you forever," she whispered before they kissed for the last time. She completely vanished in his arms. He was all alone again, but he smiled, humming their song.

"I can't wait to see you again. Wait for me up there, my angel."


End file.
